Sean McVay effect

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is the namesake of the term.

The Sean McVay effect is a term used to describe a trend beginning in 2018 regarding the hiring practices of National Football League (NFL) teams towards employing young head coaches that specialized in offensive strategy, but would later be expanded to describe the trend of hiring young head coaches in general. The phrase originates from Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, who when hired at 30 years old in 2017, became the youngest NFL head coach in the Super Bowl era (1966–present). McVay rapidly changed the culture of the organization and turned the Rams into the league's highest-scoring offense, resulting in the team becoming perennial title contenders and eventual champions in Super Bowl LVI. In light of McVay's quick success, NFL teams increasingly began to hire relatively younger head coaches.

Background

McVay with the Washington Redskins in 2014

On January 12, 2017, the Los Angeles Rams hired Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay, who was then 30 years old, as their head coach. He began his NFL career in 2010 as Washington's assistant tight ends coach before working his way up to becoming their offensive coordinator, a role he held for three years. ^[1] His hire by the Rams made McVay the youngest NFL head coach since 1938, when Art Lewis became coach of the Cleveland Rams at 27 years old. Prior to McVay's hiring, the four youngest head coaching hires in the Super Bowl era (1966–present) – Lane Kiffin, Raheem Morris, Dave Shula, and Josh McDaniels – had a combined win–loss record of 52–115 before being fired by their respective teams. ^[2]

McVay took over a Rams team that finished the 2016 season last in points, total yards and first downs, and that were later ranked as the second-worst offense of the 2010s. ^[3] Under McVay's new leadership, the Rams led the league in total offense in 2017, making them the first team in the Super Bowl era to go from last to first in total offense in a single season. ^[4] In addition to McVay's coaching acumen, many noted how he was able to change the culture of the organization with his willingness to engage with players and take accountability for his own shortcomings. ^{[5] [6]} The Rams would reach the playoffs in McVay's first season, ending a twelve-year postseason drought for the franchise. ^[7] McVay received recognition from the league and the media for turning around the team's fortunes, and at the season's conclusion he became the youngest-ever recipient of the AP NFL Coach of the Year award. ^{[8] [9]}

McVay being interviewed by television sports analyst Terry Bradshaw (left) after the LA Rams won the 2018 NFC Championship

The following season, McVay's second with the team, the Rams returned to the playoffs and won the 2018 NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints. At age 33, this made McVay the youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl. ^[1] The Rams ultimately lost Super Bowl LIII to the New England Patriots. ^[10]

Coaching hiring trends after McVay

Following McVay's quick turnaround of the Rams, many NFL teams sought to replicate the strategy of hiring a young head coach that specialized in offensive strategy. ^[11] Journalist Mark Maske of The Washington Post coined the term "Sean McVay effect" in the 2018 offseason, after McVay's first year as a head coach, in reference to the fact that both Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy (39) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo (39) were expected to receive head coaching interviews. Maske cited McVay's instant success in his debut season as the reason the pair were receiving serious considerations, and stated that the two would have had to wait years for such opportunities under the previous circumstances. ^[12] Nagy would soon be hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. ^[13]

Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, and Kliff Kingsbury were hired in 2019 as NFL head coaches to emulate McVay's success. LaFleur and Taylor had worked under McVay on the Rams.

In the wake of the Rams continued success during McVay's second year, the subsequent 2019 offseason had several more hires in the mold of McVay, with Matt LaFleur (39), Kliff Kingsbury (39), Adam Gase (40), Freddie Kitchens (44), and Zac Taylor (35) all becoming the head coaches of different teams. ^[14] Many of these coaches were noted to be hired due to their connections with McVay; LaFleur had previously served as McVay's offensive coordinator, Taylor was McVay's wide receivers coach and quarterbacks coach, while Kingsbury was initially publicized as being "friends with Rams coach Sean McVay" upon the announcement of his hiring. ^{[15] [16]} A month after the 2019 season began, sportswriter Bill Barnwell quipped that "anyone who has ever worn a polo shirt around McVay is now an NFL head coach", while Taylor himself similarly mentioned years later that "I think the joke is if you ever had a cup of coffee with Sean McVay, then you're going to be a head coach in the NFL". ^{[17] [18]}

The trend of younger head coaches with offensive backgrounds has continued, with some of these coaching hires having worked with McVay in the past. ^[19] Kevin O'Connell (36) came directly from the McVay coaching tree as the Rams' offensive coordinator before becoming head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. ^[20] While Mike McDaniel (38) did not serve under McVay before being hired as head coach the Miami Dolphins, he was part of the Washington coaching staff from 2011 to 2013 alongside McVay, LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan, another relatively young offensive-minded head coach who was hired at the age of 37 by the San Francisco 49ers less than a month after McVay was hired by the Rams. ^{[21] [22]}

Eventually, this movement would also be associated to the hiring of relatively younger head coaches that focused on defensive strategy as well. ^[23] Brandon Staley (38) was hired in the 2021 offseason as head coach of the crosstown Los Angeles Chargers after spending one season as McVay's defensive coordinator on the Rams. ^[24] Upon his hiring, Staley was touted as being "the Sean McVay of defense", in that he was also a "young, bright mind that sees it all, that can communicate with people". ^[25]

Furthermore, several of McVay's lower-level assistants were regularly hired for offensive, defensive or special teams coordinator positions on other teams, including Shane Waldron, Joe Barry, Ejiro Evero, Wes Phillips, Dwayne Stukes and Matt Daniels. ^[26] Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson reportedly favored hiring Waldron, who was then the Rams' passing game coordinator, as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator due to his experience on McVay's coaching staff and familiarity with McVay's offensive system. ^[27] Waldron was also previously considered for the Cincinnati Bengals head coaching position that eventually went to Taylor. ^[11]

Head coaching hires attributed to the "Sean McVay effect"

Offensive coaches Name Age Season Team Refs Matt Nagy 39 2018 Chicago Bears [13] Matt LaFleur 39 2019 Green Bay Packers [14] Kliff Kingsbury 39 2019 Arizona Cardinals [14] Adam Gase 40 2019 New York Jets [14] Freddie Kitchens 44 2019 Cleveland Browns [14] Zac Taylor 35 2019 Cincinnati Bengals [14] Matt Rhule 44 2020 Carolina Panthers [28] Joe Judge 38 2020 New York Giants [28] Kevin Stefanski 37 2020 Cleveland Browns [29] Arthur Smith 38 2021 Atlanta Falcons [30] Nick Sirianni 39 2021 Philadelphia Eagles [31] Nathaniel Hackett 42 2022 Denver Broncos [32] Brian Daboll 46 2022 New York Giants [33] Mike McDaniel 38 2022 Miami Dolphins [33] Kevin O'Connell 36 2022 Minnesota Vikings [33] Shane Steichen 37 2023 Indianapolis Colts [23] Brian Callahan 39 2024 Tennessee Titans [34] Dave Canales 42 2024 Carolina Panthers [35]

Defensive coaches Name Age Season Team Refs Brandon Staley 38 2021 Los Angeles Chargers [25] DeMeco Ryans 38 2023 Houston Texans [23] Jonathan Gannon 40 2023 Arizona Cardinals [23] Jerod Mayo 37 2024 New England Patriots [36] Raheem Morris 47 2024 Atlanta Falcons [35] Mike Macdonald 36 2024 Seattle Seahawks [37]

Impact

Super Bowl LVI featured Sean McVay's Rams against Zac Taylor's Bengals in the youngest Super Bowl head coaching matchup in history.

Sean McVay and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor — aged 36 and 38, respectively — met in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022. It was McVay's second appearance at the Super Bowl and Taylor's first as a head coach, although Taylor was on the Rams' coaching staff during McVay's previous appearance. ^{[38] [39] [40]} With McVay and Taylor combining for an age of 74, it marked the youngest-ever head coaching matchup in Super Bowl history. ^[41] The Rams would defeat the Bengals by a score of 23–20, resulting in McVay becoming the youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl. ^[38]

For decades prior to McVay joining the Rams, hiring younger NFL head coaches was rare, as twenty-two head coaches aged 40 or younger were hired from 1990 to 2016. Conversely, fifteen different head coaches in the same age bracket were hired from 2017, the year McVay was hired, to 2022, the year after he won the Super Bowl. ^[42] Only 11% of the head coaching vacancies were filled by someone 40 or younger in the five hiring cycles prior to McVay's hiring. This rate effectively tripled in the five hiring cycles after McVay became head coach of the Rams, with coaches under 40 making up 35% of the hires. ^[23] As a result, the average age of NFL head coaches would decrease from 53.4 to 48.5 years old between 2016 and 2021. ^{[43] [44]}

It has been noted by some that this shift of younger, offensive coaches being hired has come at the expense of older coaches and coaches that specialized in defensive strategy. ^{[45] [46] [47]} Three-quarters of available head coaching jobs went to offensive coaches between 2017 and 2019. By the end of that period only 10 out of 32 NFL coaches had defensive backgrounds. ^[48]

Others have noted that this trend has done little to support hiring candidates from ethnic-minority backgrounds, an ongoing issue in the NFL. ^{[49] [50]} During the 2019 offseason when Taylor and Matt LaFleur were hired, only one of the eight open head coaching positions went to an African-American coach. ^[49] Stephen Holder of The Athletic reported that in the 2021 season, there were more former McVay assistants serving in top positions than there were African-American head coaches. ^[51] This has also been attributed to the lack of minorities on offensive coaching staffs, as 86% of the offensive coordinators between 1999 and 2021 have been Caucasian. ^[42]

References

1. Connley, Courtney (January 18, 2019). "Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay is the youngest NFL head coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
2. Gonzalez, Alden (January 12, 2017). "Rams make McVay youngest head coach at 30". ESPN . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
3. DaSilva, Cameron (June 17, 2020). "2016 Rams ranked as one of the worst offenses of the decade". RamsWire. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
4. Gonzalez, Alden (January 1, 2018). "Rams complete a near-unprecedented journey from worst to first". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
5. Gonzalez, Alden (October 27, 2017). "How Sean McVay changed the Rams' culture". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
6. Thiry, Lindsey (January 28, 2019). "Want to learn about the L.A. Rams' culture? Take a lesson in Sean McVay's lingo". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
7. Simpson, James (January 24, 2019). "Behind Sean McVay's remarkable Rams turnaround". Sky Sports . Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
8. Sessler, Marc (February 3, 2018). "Rams' Sean McVay named NFL Coach of the Year". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
9. "Sean McVay Is Youngest Coach To Lead Team To Super Bowl". CBS News. January 20, 2019. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
10. Graziano, Dan (February 4, 2019). "How the Patriots' defense stymied Sean McVay in Super Bowl LIII". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
11. DaSilva, Cameron (January 8, 2019). "NFL's recent coaching hires prove the 'Sean McVay Effect' is real". RamsWire. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
12. Maske, Mark (January 3, 2018). "Will there be a Sean McVay Effect on this year's NFL head coaching searches?". Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
13. Maske, Mark (January 3, 2018). "Is Matt Nagy the next Sean McVay? The Chicago Bears certainly hope so". Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
14. Mizutani, Dane (January 11, 2019). "The Sean McVay Effect: How does Vikings' Mike Zimmer stay relevant amid seismic shift in NFL?". TwinCities.com . Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
15. Thiry, Lindsey (January 19, 2021). "The Sean McVay era is here, but good luck replicating what the Rams' coach has done". ESPN . Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
16. Florio, Mike (January 9, 2019). "Cardinals dump "friend of McVay" reference from article announcing Kingsbury hire". ProFootballTalk . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
17. Barnwell, Bill (September 30, 2019). "How Week 4 showed fatal flaws for the NFL's best teams". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
18. Walker, Patrik (February 13, 2022). "Super Bowl 2022 pits Sean McVay vs. Zac Taylor: Why Rams, Bengals coaches' familiarity will determine victor". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
19. Cothrel, Nicholas (February 4, 2022). "Sean McVay Downplays the Hype of His Coaching Tree, Talks the Importance of a Diverse Staff". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
20. Camenker, Jacob (September 8, 2022). "Youngest NFL coaches in 2022: Where Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell, others rank in NFL youth movement". Sporting News . Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
21. Kerr, Jeff (February 6, 2022). "Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel: Four of NFL's youngest head coaches worked together on same staff in 2013". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
22. Wagner-McGough, Sean (February 7, 2017). "49ers officially hire ex-Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as head coach". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
23. Schad, Tom (February 15, 2023). "Expansive searches, predictable results: What we learned from the 2023 NFL hiring cycle". USA Today . Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
24. Thiry, Lindsey (January 18, 2021). "Los Angeles Chargers hire Rams' Brandon Staley as coach". ESPN . Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
25. Thiry, Lindsey (January 17, 2021). "Los Angeles Chargers' new coach Brandon Staley is the latest coaching wunderkind". ESPN . Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
26. DaSilva, Cameron (February 24, 2022). "Updated look at Sean McVay's ever-growing coaching tree after 5 years". RamsWire. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
27. Henderson, Brady (September 7, 2022). "Inside the Russell Wilson-Seattle Seahawks drama that led to the Denver Broncos trade". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
28. Pelissero, Tom (October 24, 2019). "Robert Saleh, 2 Pats assistants among young coaches to watch". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
29. Mizutani, Dane (November 20, 2019). "Is success leading Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski elsewhere?". TwinCities.com . Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
30. Davenport, Turron (January 15, 2021). "Arthur Smith brings optimism, but the Falcons will need patient approach". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
31. Treacy, Dan (February 11, 2023). "How old is Nick Sirianni? Where Eagles coach would rank among youngest to win a Super Bowl". Sporting News . Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
32. "Sean McVay never coached with Broncos, but his influence is all over Denver's staff". Denver Sports Daily. December 22, 2022. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
33. Treacy, Dan (January 15, 2023). "Rookie coaches in the NFL playoffs: How Brian Daboll, Kevin O'Connell, Mike McDaniel led Year 1 turnarounds". Sporting News . Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
34. Breech, John (January 23, 2024). "Why Brian Callahan makes sense for Titans, 49ers wanted Tom Brady plus AFC, NFC Championship picks". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
35. Craig, Evan (January 25, 2024). "Sean McVay effect remains alive and well with 2024 coaching cycle". Turf Show Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
36. Dubin, Jared (January 12, 2024). "Patriots' Jerod Mayo becomes new youngest coach in NFL, ending Sean McVay's seven-year run". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
37. Dubin, Jared (January 31, 2024). "Seahawks' Mike Macdonald new youngest head coach in NFL, passing Jerod Mayo and ending Sean McVay's 7-year run". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
38. Middlehurst-Schwartz, Michael (February 13, 2022). "Sean McVay becomes youngest NFL coach to win Super Bowl as Rams beat Bengals". USA Today . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
39. Gordon, Grant (February 12, 2022). "Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals by the numbers". NFL.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
40. DeArdo, Bryan (January 31, 2022). "Super Bowl 2022: Sean McVay, Zac Taylor to make history as Super Bowl's youngest coaching matchup". CBSSports.com . Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
41. Smith, Michael David (January 31, 2022). "Sean McVay vs. Zac Taylor is the youngest matchup of Super Bowl head coaches ever". ProFootballTalk . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
42. Sheinin, Dave; Lee, Michael; Giambalvao, Emily; Galocha, Artur; Morse, Clara Ence (September 21, 2022). "Black Out: How the NFL Blocks Black Coaches". Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
43. Links, Zachary (July 2, 2018). "The Average Age Of NFL Head Coaches In 2018". Pro Football Rumors. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
44. Sutelan, Edward (February 13, 2022). "How old is Sean McVay? NFL's youngest head coach already in second Super Bowl with Rams". Sporting News . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
45. Perkins, Chris (April 4, 2019). "Search for 'the next Sean McVay' slowing NFL head-coaching opportunities for defensive-minded assistants". The Athletic . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
46. HBS Working Knowledge (January 13, 2020). "NFL Head Coaches Are Getting Younger. What Can Organizations Learn?". Forbes . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
47. Davenport, Getzenberg; Alaina, Dominic (September 18, 2022). "How defensive coaches Bills' Sean McDermott, Titans' Mike Vrabel have thrived in era that favors offensive gurus". ESPN . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
48. Gagnon, Brad (January 18, 2019). "NFL head coaches with defensive backgrounds are becoming extinct". The Comeback: Today's Top Sports Stories & Reactions. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
49. Mitchell, John (February 5, 2019). "Sean McVay and the power of the WGBOTD". The Philadelphia Tribune . Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
50. Brewer, Jerry (October 17, 2022). "Black Out: Voices for Change". Washington Post . Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
51. Holder, Stephen (February 9, 2022). "Super Bowl matchup proof that Sean McVay's coaching tree is in full bloom". The Athletic . Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.