Sean McVay
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Sean Patrick McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach who is the
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
of the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 at the age of 30. McVay is also the youngest head coach to win a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
and be named NFL Coach of the Year. Prior to becoming Rams head coach, he served as a tight ends coach and offensive coordinator for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. Within his first year, McVay turned a Rams team that had the league's lowest scoring offense the previous year into the top-scoring team of 2017. The season also marked the Rams' first winning record and division title since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004. Over the following seasons, McVay led the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl LIII in 2018 and a victory in Super Bowl LVI in 2021, the franchise's first world championship since 1999. His success in Los Angeles is credited with spawning the " Sean McVay effect", in which NFL teams were more inclined to hire younger, offensive-minded head coaches.


Early life

McVay was born in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, the son of Tim and Cindy McVay. Sean's father, Tim, played football as a defensive back at
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
. His family lived in Dayton until Sean was six years old. His grandfather, John McVay, was the head football coach at the
University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a Private university, private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary (Marianists), Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the U ...
from 1965 to 1972, head coach of the New York Giants later in the 1970s, and general manager of the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
for the team's five
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
championships during the 1980 and 1990s. McVay graduated from Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia, in 2004. He was a four-year starter at Marist as a
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
and
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
for the War Eagles
high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...
team and the first player in school history to amass 1,000 yards rushing and passing in consecutive seasons. McVay totaled 2,600 yards rushing and 40 rushing
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s during his career and also passed for 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the War Eagles to a 26–3 record, including a 14–1 record and state championship his senior year, when he was also named the Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year over future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.


College career

McVay attended
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
in
Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion ...
, where he played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
as a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
from 2004 to 2007, earning Miami's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2007. McVay recorded 39 receptions for 312 yards for the RedHawks in his college career. He graduated from Miami in 2008 with a B.S. in Health and Sports Studies.


Coaching career


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McVay began his coaching career as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
under head coach Jon Gruden.


Florida Tuskers

In 2009, McVay was the quality control/wide receivers coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League (UFL). With Florida, McVay first worked under Jay Gruden, who was the Tuskers offensive coordinator.


Washington Redskins

In
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, McVay was hired as the assistant tight ends coach for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
under head coach Mike Shanahan. The following season, McVay was promoted to tight ends coach, a position he held through the 2013 season. On January 14, 2014, McVay was promoted to offensive coordinator by new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden. Over the next three seasons, McVay had a direct impact in developing Kirk Cousins into a franchise quarterback. Becoming the full-time starter in
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, Cousins led the Redskins to back-to-back winning seasons, throwing for over 9,000 yards and more than 50 touchdowns. In
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, Cousins was named to the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
for the first time. McVay's success with Cousins made him an attractive head coaching candidate and following the season was interviewed by both the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
and the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
.


Los Angeles Rams

On January 12, 2017, McVay was hired to become the 28th head coach of the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
at the age of . The hiring made him the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era, surpassing Lane Kiffin, who was old when hired by the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in 2007, and the youngest since 27-year-old Art Lewis became interim head coach of the Rams in 1938. McVay would remain the youngest head coach in the NFL until the New England Patriots hired
Jerod Mayo Jerod Andrew Mayo Sr. (born February 23, 1986) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the New England Patriots. He also served as the head coach ...
on January 12, 2024, exactly seven years to the day after McVay was hired by the Rams. McVay inherited a Rams team that finished 2016 in last place in points, total yards, touchdown passes and first downs, a team later ranked as having the second-worst offense of the decade based on Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) statistic. On January 19, 2017, veteran coach Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator. On February 8, 2017, McVay hired Matt LaFleur as his
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...
. LaFleur had previously worked with McVay in Washington when McVay was tight ends coach and LaFleur was quarterbacks coach.


2017 season

On September 10, 2017, McVay made his regular-season head coaching debut against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, and led the Rams to a 46–9 victory in a home game at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...
. Following a Week 2 27–20 loss to McVay's former team, the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, the Rams pulled off a close 41–39 road victory over the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
on '' Thursday Night Football''. During Week 4, the Rams turned a 16–24 deficit into a 35–30 upset road victory over the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, but they lost their next game to
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
division rival Seattle Seahawks at home by a score of 16–10. Regardless, in just five games, the Rams offense scored a total of 142 (later 151) points, a league leader and franchise high. The Rams went on to beat the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
on the road by a score of 27–17 in Week 6 and the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
by a score of 33–0 in an NFL International Series game for the team's first shutout win since
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, as well as raising their record to 5–2 for the first time since
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
(the last time the team made the playoffs) and a first-place lead in the
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
. McVay coached the Rams to a blowout against the New York Giants in their highest-scoring game, a 51–17 road victory, raising the Rams' record to 6–2. The Rams would win another home game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
by a score of 33–7 to raise their record to 7–2, which was their best record of the season since
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
. In Weeks 11 and 12, the Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings on the road by a score of 24–7 but won at home against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
26–20 to raise their record to 8–3. During a Week 13 32–16 road victory over the Cardinals, the Rams achieved their first winning season since 2003. The next weeks: Week 14, Week 15, and Week 16, the Rams had two victories over the Seattle Seahawks in a 42–7 road victory and the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
in a close 27–23 road victory although they still lost to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
43–35. McVay's first season with the Rams saw them dramatically improve their record from the 2016 season, finishing with the team's first winning season and division title since 2003 and its first playoff berth since
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. In the process, the Rams became the first team to have the top scoring offense in the league a year after finishing with the lowest the previous year. McVay made his playoff head coaching debut against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, but the Rams lost in the Wild Card Round by a score of 26–13. On January 19, 2018, he was named NFL Coach of the Year by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
.


2018 season: Super Bowl LIII run

Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left his position with the Rams on January 30, 2018, to move up to play caller as offensive coordinator for the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
and was not replaced. The Rams started the season 8–0, their best start to a season since 1969, but they lost in New Orleans to the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in Week 9 by a score of 45–35 to fall to 8–1. After defeating the Seattle Seahawks 36–31 in Week 10, the Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 54–51 in Week 11 on '' Monday Night Football'' in a highly anticipated matchup that was originally scheduled to be played in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, but was shifted to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions. Following a bye week, the Rams traveled to Detroit and defeated the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
by a score of 30–16 to clinch their second straight
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
title. McVay then endured his first losing streak as a head coach as the Rams stumbled in back-to-back losses to the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
(15–6) and the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
(30–23), both on ''
NBC Sunday Night Football ''NBC Sunday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''SNF'') is an American weekly television broadcast of National Football League (NFL) games on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock in the United States. It began airing on August 6, 2006, w ...
''. The Rams bounced back to defeat the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
31–9 and
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
48–32 in the final two weeks to finish the regular season with a 13–3 record, tied for the second-most wins in franchise history. In the Divisional Round, the Rams defeated the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
by a score of 30–22. The following week in the controversial
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
, the Rams beat the Saints on the road by a score of 26–23 in overtime on a game-winning field goal by Greg Zuerlein in overtime to send the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, their first NFL championship appearance since Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. It was also the Rams' first Super Bowl appearance while based in Los Angeles since Super Bowl XIV in 1980. At age 33, McVay became the youngest head coach to lead his team to the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. However, the success would be short-lived, as the Rams would fall to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, with the Rams failing to score a single touchdown in the 13–3 loss (the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history).


2019 season

The 2019 season was a disappointment, as the Rams were victims of the Super Bowl Losers' Curse and missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The Rams started the season 3–0, winning against the Carolina Panthers,
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, and
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. However, they then lost three straight to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
. Before a Week 9 bye, they won two games against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
and
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
. The Rams then won four and lost four. The team faced problems during the season due to a combination of factors and lost in heartbreaking fashion on the road by a score of 34–31 against the 49ers, which eliminated the Rams from the playoffs. Los Angeles finished the season at 9–7 with a season-ending 31–24 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
in the team's final game at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...
.


2020 season

After a win over the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in the season opener, the Rams started off the first half of the 2020 season going 5–3, with wins over the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, New York Giants, Washington Football Team, and
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. However, they lost to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
,
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, and Miami Dolphins. The Rams finished the season with a 10–6 record with wins over the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, and New England Patriots. Their remaining losses came against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, 49ers, and Seahawks. After a 30–20 road victory over the Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, McVay and the Rams visited the first-seeded
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
at Lambeau Field, who were led by one of McVay's former offensive coordinators, Matt LaFleur. The matchup was the postseason contest with the youngest combined age between both head coaches in more than 50 years. The Rams lost on the road by a score of 32–18 in the Divisional Round.


2021 season: Super Bowl LVI victory

There were high expectations for the Rams after trading for former
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
quarterback
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
in the offseason. The Rams opened the season at home against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
and won 34–14. They then won their next two games against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, and the reigning
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. The Rams then beat the Seattle Seahawks on '' Thursday Night Football'' 26–17, then defeated the New York Giants on the road by a score of 38–11 the following week. Wins at home against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
(28–19) and on the road against
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
(38–22) pushed the Rams' record to 7–1. However, the Rams stumbled as they passed the midway point of the season, losing 28–16 to the visiting
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
during Week 9 on '' Sunday Night Football'', then getting routed 31–10 by the host
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
on '' Monday Night Football'' in Week 10. After a Week 11 bye, the Rams' losing streak continued when they lost to the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
on the road by a score of 36–28, falling to a 7–4 record. The Rams snapped their losing streak with a 37–7 blowout at home against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, then followed that up with an impressive 30–23 road victory over the Cardinals, which vaulted the Rams back into the NFC West race. Despite a two-day delay due to COVID-19 precautions, the Rams beat the Seahawks 20–10 at SoFi Stadium to improve to 10–4, then scored impressive road wins over the Minnesota Vikings (30–23) and the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
(20–19) to clinch an NFC playoff spot. However, the regular-season ended with a 27–24 overtime loss to the 49ers, in which the Rams squandered a 17–0 lead. Despite the loss, the Rams' first under McVay after they had led at halftime (a streak of 45 straight games), the Rams claimed the NFC West division title by virtue of Arizona's loss to Seattle that same day. In the first NFL playoff game played on '' Monday Night Football'', the Rams defeated their NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals, by a score of 34–11. With the win, McVay's record over the Cardinals improved to 10–1 over five seasons. The following week, the Rams traveled to Tampa Bay and narrowly beat the Buccaneers 30–27. The win put the Rams into the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
for the second time under McVay's leadership, giving him his fifth postseason victory, the most in team history. Returning to
SoFi Stadium SoFi Stadium ( ) is a domed multi-purpose stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., a suburb of Los Angeles. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack and neighbors the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome. Opened in September 2020, the ...
for the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
, the Rams rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat their other NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers, by a score of 20–17, with McVay winning his second conference title and advancing to Super Bowl LVI, where the Rams defeated the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
by a score of 23–20, rallying with a late touchdown to win. The victory made McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl at age 36.


2022 season

Prior to the season opener, the Rams announced that McVay and General Manager Les Snead had signed extensions with the team, keeping them with the franchise until the 2026 season. McVay and the Rams would host the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in their first game for the 2022 season, where they unveiled their Super Bowl championship banner at
SoFi Stadium SoFi Stadium ( ) is a domed multi-purpose stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., a suburb of Los Angeles. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack and neighbors the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome. Opened in September 2020, the ...
. The Rams would lose 31–10, in what would be the first time McVay would lose a season opener, and the first time he would have an active season record under .500. McVay and the Rams struggled to defend their title throughout the season, as the team lost key members
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald to injury for significant portions of the year. Injuries led to the team turning to former #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to start at quarterback for the remainder of the season. Mayfield finished the year with a 2–3 record with wins coming against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football and the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
on
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
. But with consecutive road losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams would finish 5–12 and miss the playoffs in McVay's first losing season as a head coach.


2023 season

With the Rams having traded significant draft capital and given notably high contracts to pursue their Super Bowl championship, many predicted that a team rebuild loomed during the offseason. Despite McVay having signed an extension prior to the previous season, speculation arose that the Rams head coach would not want to take part in a rebuild and would instead step away from the team before the next season began. Shortly after the regular season finished, sources stated that McVay would stay as head coach for the next season. Throughout the offseason, media outlets ruminated over the Rams' dismal 2022 season, and with the team handling $75 million in dead cap money along with a roster filled with first- and second-year players, few outside the franchise organization expected the team to compete for the playoffs. A winless (0–3) preseason in which the Rams were outscored 109–34 did little to dispel the pundits' pessimism. The Rams opened the season with a surprisingly strong 30–13 rout of host
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. Though Los Angeles dropped three of its next four games against
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
(30–23),
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
(19–16), and
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
(23–14), the Rams displayed unexpected resilience against a trio of teams widely expected to contend for the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. The emergence of rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and second-year running back Kyren Williams propelled Los Angeles to a 29–23 overtime win at
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
in Week 4 and a 26–9 rout of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
at home in Week 6 to even the Rams' record at 3–3. But Williams suffered a severe ankle sprain that sidelined him on injured reserve for a month, and that, combined with injuries to quarterback
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, hampered the Rams who dropped three straight games going into the bye week. Los Angeles returned from the break and gutted out a 17–16 win over Seattle, then crushed Arizona (37–14) and Cleveland (36–19) before falling 37–31 to the AFC-leading
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
on the road. With Williams surpassing 1,000 yards rushing, Nacua setting numerous NFL rookie receiving records and the impressive play of rookie defensive stars Kobie Turner at nose tackle and Byron Young at linebacker, the Rams rolled to four straight victories to end the season. Back-to-back home victories against Washington (28–20) and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
(30–22) were followed by a narrow 26–25 victory over the New York Giants that clinched a playoff berth (McVay's fifth in seven seasons), and a 21–20 win in Week 18 at
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
that ended a nine-game regular season losing streak to L.A.'s northern California nemesis. The Rams' 10–7 record improved McVay's regular season win total to 70 and overall win total (including playoffs) to 77, both second-most in franchise history behind John Robinson. Shortly after Los Angeles had clinched a playoff berth, McVay publicly declared that he intended to return as the team's head coach for the 2024 season. In an NFC Wild Card game played at Ford Field, the Los Angeles Rams lost a close contest 24–23 to the host
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, in what marked in Detroit's first playoff win in 32 seasons. Following the game, McVay gave much praise to his team, which defied most expectations in reaching the playoffs in what many considered to be a rebuilding year. "Man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group," McVay said following the end of his team's season. "They helped me find my way again."


2024 season

In 2024, Sean McVay entered his eighth season as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, reinvigorated after considering retirement during the previous offseason. Despite McVay’s renewed enthusiasm, the Rams faced difficulties early in the season, starting with a 1–4 record by mid-October. Their sole victory came in Week 3, a 27–24 win over the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
. However, the team struggled with consistency, particularly on defense, but McVay remained optimistic about the development of younger players, emphasizing that the 2024 season felt like "Year 1 again" as the team transitioned into a new era. Following the bye week, the Rams earned back-to-back home wins against the Las Vegas Raiders (20–15) in Week 7 and Minnesota Vikings (30–20) in Week 8. With the latter, McVay became Rams franchise all-time leader in overall coaching victories with 80, surpassing the total of 79 by John Robinson, who coached the Rams from 1983 to 1991. In Week 13, McVay surpassed Robinson for most regular season victories in team history with his 76th coming in a 21–14 victory over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. Four weeks later, a 19–9 win over the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
clinched for McVay his seventh winning season in eight years, and the following week the Rams defeated the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
13–9. The Rams' 10th victory of the season, combined with a strength of victory tiebreaker, clinched the
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
division title for the fourth time in eight years under McVay, as well as advancing to the playoffs for the sixth time in McVay's eight seasons Preparations to host the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC Wild Card Game were disrupted by the outbreak of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires. Initially maintaining a normal practice schedule as a series of fires broke out in surrounding communities, the NFL decided (along with the concurrence of both franchises) to move the game to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Despite the difficulties, McVay was able to keep his team focused and ready to play. The result was a resounding 27–9 rout of the Vikings that advanced the Rams to the divisional round. Following the triumph, McVay praised his team staying resilient amid all the adversity and becoming an inspiration for their stricken community. "With everything that's going on with our community, everything that these guys have gone through, I thought they epitomized and they represented the city the right way. You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together, offer a little bit of temporary relief, and I thought the way that our team competed tonight was what it looked like." Against
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
in an NFC Divisional Playoff game, the Rams stayed close through three quarters, but critical turnovers and miscues had the Rams down late before mounting a comeback that fell short in the final minute. After the game, McVay again was effusive in praise for his team despite the losing effort. "I love this group, I love this coaching staff, I love these players, and I also understand and appreciate how difficult it is to be in positions like this where you've got the game in hand," McVay said. "I feel like we had total control toward the latter part of that game. Momentum was in our favor and we had an opportunity to win that game, and we just came up short."


Head coaching record


Coaching tree

McVay has served under four head coaches: * Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008) * Jim Haslett, Florida Tuskers (2009) * Mike Shanahan,
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
(2010–2013) * Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins (2014–2016) Seven of McVay's assistants have been hired as head coaches in the NFL or NCAA, and one has served as an interim coach for the NFL: * Matt LaFleur,
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
(2019–present) * Zac Taylor,
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
(2019–present) * Jedd Fisch,
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
(2021–2023), Washington (2024–present) * Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers (2021–2023) * Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings (2022–present) * Raheem Morris,
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
(2024–present) * Thomas Brown,
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
(2024, interim) * Liam Coen,
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
(2025–present) One of McVay's players has been hired as head coaches in the NFL or NCAA: * DeSean Jackson, Delaware State (2025–present)


"Sean McVay effect"

Because of McVay's success as the Rams head coach at a young age, as well as his offensive prowess, NFL teams have started to look more towards younger offensive-minded coaches to be their head coaches, as opposed to coaches with defensive backgrounds or more experience. This trend has been coined the " Sean McVay effect" or the " next Sean McVay". Coaches who were hired as a result of this trend include Matt LaFleur (six years older than McVay), Zac Taylor (three years older), and Kevin O'Connell (eight months older), who all served as offensive assistants to McVay, along with Mike McDaniel (three years older), who was on the Washington Redskins coaching staff with McVay from 2011 to 2013. Others have also cited McVay's offensive success to resulting in the fast rise of Kliff Kingsbury (six years older), who was ousted as head coach of a struggling Texas Tech program to being hired as head coach of the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
in a period of three months. This term would later be expanded to include the hiring of relatively younger head coaches with defensive backgrounds as well. McVay would hold the distinction as the NFL's youngest head coach for seven years, until
Jerod Mayo Jerod Andrew Mayo Sr. (born February 23, 1986) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the New England Patriots. He also served as the head coach ...
, who was born a month after McVay, was hired as head coach for the New England Patriots in 2024.


Personal life

McVay resides in Hidden Hills, California with his wife, Veronika Khomyn, a former model from
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
whom he met when he was a coach for Washington and she was a student at
George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...
. He and Khomyn previously lived in Encino along with Chris Shula, then the Rams linebackers coach, as a housemate. They were engaged on June 22, 2019, while vacationing in Cannes, France. They married on June 4, 2022. The couple have a son, born in October 2023. McVay's grandfather, John McVay, was also an NFL head coach, having coached the New York Giants from 1976 to 1978 before going on to serve as an executive for the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
between 1980 and 1999. McVay was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


Coaching statistics
at
Pro Football Reference Pro Football Reference (PFR) is an online statistics database for professional American football maintained by Sports Reference. The site provides career statistics for players, teams, and games, as well as records and NFL draft history. PFR was ...

Los Angeles Rams profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McVay, Sean 1986 births Living people American football quarterbacks American football wide receivers Coaches of American football from California Florida Tuskers coaches Los Angeles Rams head coaches Marist School (Georgia) alumni Miami RedHawks football players NFL offensive coordinators Players of American football from Dayton, Ohio Sportspeople from Dayton, Ohio Super Bowl–winning head coaches Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches Washington Redskins coaches NFL Coach of the Year winners