On January 12, 2017, Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke named Sean McVay the 23rd full-time head coach in franchise history. McVay became the youngest coach in modern NFL history at 30 years old.
McVay has led the Rams to four playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances in his first six seasons, winning Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
McVay coached his 100th career regular season game on Sunday, September 17, 2023. He has the fifth highest winning percentage amongst active head coaches in their first 100 regular season games with a record of 61-39.
McVay has also led the Rams to five winning seasons with three NFC West titles. McVay currently remains the youngest head coach in the NFL despite entering his seventh season at the helm.
Last season, McVay helped several Rams players receive notable recognitions for their performances on the field. Defensive Tackle Aaron Donald was voted to his ninth career Pro Bowl and former Defensive Back Jalen Ramsey was voted to his sixth Pro Bowl. Donald was also named to the NFLPA AllPro team. Additionally, in his lone season with the Rams, former Linebacker Bobby Wagner fell three tackles short of breaking the Rams' single-season tackle record (142). Before sustaining an injury in Week 11, McVay helped Quarterback Matthew Stafford record the highest completion percentage of his career (68.0%). He also supported former Rams Quarterback Baker Mayfield, who led the Rams on a game-winning drive against the Raiders in Week 14 despite joining the team only two days prior. Mayfield and McVay led the Rams on a 98-yard touchdown drive to win the game. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that was the longest go-ahead touchdown drive to begin in the final two minutes of a game in the last 45 years. Mayfield earned Player of the Week honors following the game. Running Back Cam Akers eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in three consecutive games to close out the regular season and became the first Rams running back to have three consecutive 100+ yard rushing performances in the same season since Todd Gurley in 2015. McVay also helped Tyler Higbee break the single-season franchise record for receptions by a tight end (72) and become the team's all-time leader in touchdowns for tight ends (20).
Under the leadership of McVay last season, the Rams' defense ranked among the best in the NFL. The unit finished first in opponent red zone efficiency (44.4%), second in goal-to-go efficiency (53.3%), and fourth in fewest missed tackles (103). The Rams' defense also finished tied for seventh in interceptions (16), and ninth in defensive total rush EPA (42.97). According to PFF, the defense finished with the sixth-best grade (77.5) and was first against the rush (87.0 grade) and second in tackling (88.0 grade).
During the 2021 season, McVay produced his fifth-straight winning season with the Rams, which was the longest consecutive winning season streak since the Rams posted four-consecutive winning seasons from 1983-1986. The 12-5 record earned L.A. its fourth postseason appearance and second Super Bowl appearance in McVay's first five seasons leading the franchise which was capped off by a Super Bowl LVI victory in the Rams' home stadium. McVay also became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl at the age of 36. He became the second-fastest coach in franchise history to reach the 50-win mark.
McVay also was the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl during the 2018 campaign and was the youngest coach to win AP Coach of the Year at the age of 31. He won 70% of his first 50 games, which is the sixth-best winning percentage of all-time among coaches with at least 50 games.
The Rams offense thrived during the 2021 season and in Matthew Stafford's first year under center. Under McVay's guidance, the Rams offense ranked in the top 10 in total offense and fifth in passing offense. Stafford threw for almost 5,000 yards and Receiver Cooper Kupp won the Triple Crown, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. The Rams would have sent four starters to the 2021 Pro Bowl had they not been preparing for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. On offense, Kupp was selected to his first Pro Bowl. On defense, Jalen Ramsey earned his fifth straight Pro Bowl nod and Aaron Donald earned his eighth-straight Pro Bowl nod. Former Kicker Matt Gay was selected as the starter in his first Pro Bowl. The Rams also had four players selected as alternates including Matthew Stafford, former Tackle Andrew Whitworth, former Outside Linebacker Leonard Floyd and Center Brian Allen. Kupp, Ramsey and Donald were All-Pro selections.
In a season that was anything but normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Rams defense flourished earning the league's No. 1 ranked unit and dominating in three different categories. The Rams defense held opposing offenses to only 16.8 points per game, 281.9 yards per game, 190.7 passing yards per game and held each opposing quarterback to under 300 net yards passing. McVay won his third-career postseason contest, this time against a familiar opponent on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card game before falling to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in the Divisional Round.
In 2020, DL Aaron Donald became the third player in league history to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times. He was also named the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time and joined teammate Jalen Ramsey on the PFWA All-NFL Team. Donald finished the season with 13.5 sacks. L.A. finished 10th in the league in rushing, averaging 126.1 yards per game led by rookie Cam Akers with a team-best 625 yards on the ground. Akers recorded a 61-yard rushing attempt against the 49ers in a Week 11 contest which marked the longest run by a Rams player in the McVay era. The Rams offensive unit finished just outside of the top-10 in total offense, amassing 377 yards per game (11th) and passing offense, averaging 250.9 yards per game (13th). In a win-and-in Week 17 contest against the Arizona Cardinals, McVay helped former Quarterback John Wolford earn his firstcareer win in his first-career NFL appearance and start. Wolford finished the game completing 22-of-38 passing attempts for 231 yards.
McVay's third season as head coach in 2019 produced his third-consecutive winning season with a 9-7 record. Three consecutive seasons had not been accomplished by a Rams team since 1999-2001, and it was only the third time since 1980 the franchise accomplished the feat. Additionally, McVay became the first head coach since 2016 to have a winning record in each of their first three seasons as a head coach. He became the fourth Rams head coach to have a winning record in three-consecutive seasons.
In his third year working with former Quarterback Jared Goff, McVay helped the fourth-year passer throw for over 4,000 yards for the second-consecutive season, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to do so. Goff also climbed up the Rams' passing leader board, closing out the season sixth on L.A.'s all-time passing leader board. Under McVay's guidance, the Rams had multiple receivers finish the season with over 1,000 receiving yards. Former Receiver Robert Woods posted his second-consecutive season with over 1,000 receiving yards, ending the season with 1,134. Receiver Cooper Kupp posted his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards, totaling a team-best 1,161.
The 2019 campaign was the first time since 1999-2002 the Rams had consecutive seasons with multiple receivers recording over 1,000 yards. McVay also helped orchestrate an offensive line that lost two starters during the season. Despite changes in personnel and position, L.A.'s offensive front managed to post six games without allowing a sack, good for a single-season franchise record. The defense received a boost when L.A. acquired Pro Bowl Jalen Ramsey via trade in Week 7 of the 2019 campaign. The defense went on to finish with the fourth-most sacks in the league (50.0) and was ranked 13th overall.
In McVay's second season guiding the Rams, the 32-year-old leader turned in one of the best seasons in franchise history. The Rams posted a 13-3 record, which tied for the second-best record in franchise history. His team won a pair of playoff games and advanced to the Rams' fourth Super Bowl appearance days after his 33rd birthday.
The 2018 Rams built on the successful foundation McVay and company created in their first season in 2017. With the guidance of McVay, the Rams' passing attack finished among the top 10 in passing yards per attempt (8.33, 4th), passing yards per game (295.6, 5th) and touchdowns (32, tied for 8th). Goff set career bests, amassing 4,688 passing yards, the second-best single season output in Rams history. In the run game, former Running Back Todd Gurley II followed up an MVP-caliber 2017 season with an equally impressive 2018 campaign in which he led the NFL in touchdowns (21) and points scored amongst non-kickers (132) for the second-consecutive year. His 17 rushing touchdowns were a career-high and the second-most single-season rushing scores in Rams history.
Following his second season as an NFL head coach, McVay ranked 17th on Fortune Magazine's World's Greatest Leaders Top-50 List. McVay was joined on the list by the likes of Bill Gates and Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of New Zealand. The complete rankings are found in the May 2019 issue of Fortune.
L.A. added star power to its defensive unit following the 2017 season. The Rams played stout defensive football down the stretch, securing a first-round bye in the 2018 playoffs. The Rams held the Patriots offensive attack to only 13 points in Super Bowl LIII. The defense was led by Donald, who posted a franchise-best 20.5 sacks, the most ever by a defensive tackle. Donald recorded 183.5 sack yards, the most ever by a defender in a single season. As a unit, the Rams ranked sixth with 1.6 takeaways per game.
In his first season guiding the Rams, McVay completed one of the greatest offensive turnarounds in NFL history. He helped the Rams move from the 32nd-ranked scoring offense in 2016 to the league's top-scoring team in 2017, marking the first time in league history a team has gone from last to first in scoring. The first-year head coach led the Rams to an 11-5 record and their first NFC West title since the 2003 season. McVay guided the Rams to their first playoff berth since 2004. Following his first season in L.A., McVay was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year, becoming the youngest head coach to ever win the award. Gurley brought home Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Donald was named the Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time in the 45 year history of the awards there was a sweep of three of the league's top awards. The Rams placed eight players in the 2018 Pro Bowl, the most in a single season by the franchise since the 1999 campaign.
Under McVay's guidance in 2017, Goff flourished earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Goff completed 296-of-477 (62.1 percent) of his passes for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions posting a 100.5 QB rating on the season. Gurley led the league in scrimmage yards finishing the year with 2,093 yards, including 1,305 rushing yards and 788 receiving yards. Additionally, Gurley was the league's highest-scoring non-kicker posting 19 total touchdowns on the season. The Rams' defense posted the fourth-most sacks (48.0), tied for sixth in interceptions (18) and finished the 2017 campaign fifth in total takeaways (28). The takeaways directly resulted in 126 points for L.A., the second-best total in the NFL.
In his first season as head coach, the Rams' special teams unit played an integral part in the team's success and was rewarded with a total of four special teamers being named to the Pro Bowl. The L.A. special teams unit was a top-10 finisher in 18-of-22 statistical categories in the 2017 special teams rankings.
Before joining the Rams, McVay completed his third season as Washington's offensive coordinator in 2016 after initially being promoted to the position on January 15, 2014. Prior to his promotion during the 2014 offseason, McVay spent three seasons as the team's tight ends coach (2011-13) and one as an offensive assistant (2010). The 2016 Washington offensive unit broke many franchise records and ranked in the top-three in a number of statistical categories. The Washington offense became the first unit in franchise history to average over 400 yards per game (403.4) and notched a franchise record 6,545 total net yards. Washington Quarterback Kirk Cousins finished the year with single-season team records in completions (406) and passing yards (4,917) and matched his team record for 300-yard passing games (seven). His 4,917 passing yards ranked third in the NFL in 2016 and are the 15th-most in a season in NFL history. Cousins closed out the season ranked second in the NFL in passing yards per game (297.4), passing yards per play (7.84) and yards per play (6.4), in addition to being the league's third ranked offensive team, averaging 403.4 yards per game. From 2015-16, Cousins threw for 9,083 yards, the fourth highest output by a quarterback trailing only Drew Brees (10,078), Matt Ryan (9,535) and Philip Rivers (9,178). The Washington offense had eight players finish the season with at least 500 yards from scrimmage (DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder, Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis and Matt Jones), tying the 2011 New Orleans Saints for the most in a single-season in NFL history.
McVay's group posted a breakout campaign in his second year as offensive coordinator in 2015, including record-setting performances by Cousins and tight end Jordan Reed. McVay's scheme and tutelage helped Cousins break the Washington records for attempts (543), completions (379), passing yards (4,166) and 300-yard passing games (seven) in a single season. Reed was a direct beneficiary of McVay's work, spending 2013 as a member of his unit during McVay's time as tight ends coach and being a focal point of the offense in 2015 when Reed recorded 87 receptions for 952 yards (both team records for a tight end) with 11 receiving touchdowns (one shy of the team record) in 2015. Collectively, McVay's 2015 offense recorded Top 10 rankings in third down percentage (43.5, fifth in the NFL), red zone scoring percentage (61.2, eighth), yards per play (5.6, 10th) and points per game (24.3, 10th). Washington also led the NFL with a teamrecord 69.5 completion percentage in 2015.
In his first season as offensive coordinator in 2014, McVay helped the Washington offense to a Top 10 league ranking in yards per play (5.7) despite starting three different quarterbacks. His work with the three passers was instrumental in setting a team record for completion percentage (66.5 percent, later broken in 2015) and helping facilitate the explosive debut season of wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Jackson averaged a league-best 20.9 yards per reception and became only the fourth player in team history to lead the NFL in that category. In 2013, McVay played a crucial role in Reed's development, as the then-rookie compiled 45 receptions for 499 yards – both Washington's single-season rookie tight end records – despite Reed playing in only nine games. Under McVay's tutelage, Reed joined Chris Cooley (2004) as the only Washington tight ends named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. During Washington's NFC East championship season in 2012, McVay's unit was productive despite losing starting TE Fred Davis to a torn Achilles tendon in Week 7. Davis had led the team in both receptions (24) and receiving yards (325) through seven games before being placed on the reserve/injured list. In 2011, McVay played an integral role in Davis' emergence, as the then fourth-year tight end surpassed his previous career highs despite playing in only 12 games. Davis caught 59 passes for 796 yards, the second-highest total on the team in both categories. Before missing the final four games of the season, Davis was on pace to set a franchise record in receiving yards by a tight end and was on pace to post the first 1,000-yard receiving season by a tight end in Washington's history.
McVay served as an offensive assistant for Washington in 2010 in addition to working with the tight ends during the final four weeks of the season. The Washington offense ranked eighth in the NFL in passing yards per game (244.6) and tight end Chris Cooley ranked second among NFL tight ends in receptions (77) and third in receiving yards (849). The offensive unit also set a franchise record for completions in a season (349), and registered a touchdown pass in 15 consecutive games for the first time in team history.
McVay joined the Washington coaching staff prior to the 2010 season after an undefeated regular season with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League (UFL). The Tuskers finished a perfect 6-0 before losing in the UFL's inaugural championship game.
McVay originally entered the National Football League as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008. During his time in Tampa Bay, McVay worked closely with wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who recorded career highs in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,248), and touchdowns (seven), en route to winning The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.
McVay graduated from Miami University (Ohio) where he played wide receiver from 2004-07, earning Miami's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2007.
McVay's statue was unveiled in the university's "Cradle of Coaches". His grandfather, John, served in various roles – including vice president/director of football operations from 1983-94 – for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979-95, overseeing five Super Bowl championship squads and earning induction into the 49ers Hall of Fame in 2013.
