Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Rams. He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 at the age of 31. McVay is also the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, make multiple Super Bowl appearances, and be named the AP NFL Coach of the Year.
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 en route to a division title. The season also marked the Rams' first winning record since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004. Over the following seasons, McVay led the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances and won the franchise's first since 1999 in Super Bowl LVI. His success in Los Angeles is credited with changing NFL hiring philosophies towards younger head coaches, also known as the "Sean McVay effect".
Early life
McVay was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Tim and Cindy McVay. Sean's father, Tim, played football as a defensive back at Indiana University. 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 from 1965 to 1972, head coach of the New York Giants later in the 1970s, and general manager of the San Francisco 49ers for the team's five Super Bowl 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 and defensive back for the War Eagles high school football 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 touchdowns 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 in Oxford, Ohio, where he played college football as a wide receiver 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.
Collegiate statistics
Coaching career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McVay began his coaching career as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 under head coach Jon Gruden.
Florida Tuskers (UFL) 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, McVay was hired as the assistant tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins 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.
Los Angeles Rams
On January 12, 2017, McVay was hired to become the 28th head coach of the Los Angeles Rams 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 in 2007, and the youngest since 27-year-old Art Lewis became interim head coach of the Rams in 1938. 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 February 8, 2017, McVay hired Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator. LaFleur had previously worked with McVay in Washington when McVay was tight ends coach and LaFleur was quarterbacks coach.