from just before the hire

If Sean McVay leaves, Redskins would lose a strong offensive coach

John Keim
ESPN Staff Writer (covers Washington)

http://www.espn.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/29723/if-sean-mcvay-leaves-redskins-would-lose-a-strong-offensive-coach

The Washington Redskins can survive the loss of offensive coordinator Sean McVay, if he’s hired as head coach of the Rams. They have two former offensive coordinators on staff and a head coach who landed in his current job based on his work doing the same.

McVay had a second interview with the Rams on Wednesday, an obvious good sign for him. The Rams, though, will interview Anthony Lynn for a second time as well. But there’s a good chance McVay will be gone — and the Redskins would lose a bright, young mind.

No one is irreplaceable: Coach Jay Gruden called plays in his first season as coach and might do so again. They also have two former coordinators: line coach Bill Callahan and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh.

For now, though, it’s about the potential impact of losing McVay. It’s not hard to see why he’s impressing other teams; he’s only 30, but he comes across as much older because he’s been studying the game most of his life. He reads numerous books on leadership. He communicates well and he works hard. As one player said, “He carried himself like a head coach.”

Here’s what you need to know about having him as the coordinator the past two years:

He called every play: Though Gruden and others had input on the game plan, it was McVay who called the plays. Gruden would be on the headset and make suggestions, but it was McVay making the decision on the plays. The Redskins’ offense might have frustrated fans at times, but the play-design impressed coaches and others outside of Washington. If McVay leaves, the Redskins do have experienced play-callers on staff.

He’s considered quarterback-friendly: Even the quarterbacks will say that they can’t excel without talent at the receiver position and the Redskins had plenty of it, with Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder along with tight end Jordan Reed. Their impact can’t be dismissed. But in numerous conversations over the course of the season and in the offseason, the quarterbacks felt comfortable entering games because they were well-prepared and coached. It allowed them to make decisions pre-snap that eased their burden in a game. Every look they would get in a game, they would have seen during the week. The quarterbacks considered it “friendly and understandable.” Cavanaugh also played a big role, though, in developing this offense. Cousins routinely credited Cavanaugh with simplifying reads, making it easier to know when to move on from a target.

He liked talking to the quarterbacks: During the game, that is, over the headset. After calling the play, he’d tell the quarterbacks where they should go with the ball based on the look they would receive. There were times this was viewed as a negative, but it also was seen the other way at times. Some players felt it hurt Kirk Cousins; others did not. But the bottom line is, sitting in the booth, McVay had a clear view of the look they might receive based on how the defense aligned against a similar formation earlier in the game. It helped. For someone who did not play the position, the quarterbacks liked his thought process.

He’s smart: McVay has been around the game his whole life, thanks to his grandfather who was a longtime San Francisco executive. McVay has devoured books on leadership styles, and one player described him as “charismatic.” But being around the game helped him develop a strong sense of the big picture and a clear understanding of how he wants things done — important traits for a head coach or a coordinator. But as a coordinator it enabled him to get a feel for how defenses were trying to stop them. He wasn’t always right and there were times he admitted needing to stick with the run more or improve in certain areas. He’s only been the full-time coordinator for two seasons. But players liked that “he studies his ass off.”

These aren’t traits that others lack or that makes it impossible to replace him. But it is what you’d hear from those who worked closely with McVay and why they were impressed with someone who is only 30.

Rams’ Sean McVay: Portrait of an up-and-coming coach

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-coach-mcvay-20170112-story.html

New Rams Coach Sean McVay played college football at Miami (Ohio), which is so prolific at developing coaches — Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian and John Harbaugh among others — it is known as the ‘’Cradle of Coaches.”

McVay, 30, might be mistaken for a coach coming straight out of the bassinet.

But McVay, who became the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was hired Thursday, has earned a reputation for detail, presence, organization and quarterback whispering while zooming through pro football’s coaching ranks.

Now, after three seasons as the Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator, he takes over a Rams team that produced the NFL’s worst offense two years in a row.

The Rams believe McVay can lift quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, as he did Kirk Cousins, Washington’s fourth-round draft pick in 2012 who has developed into one of the NFL’s top passers.

Cousins also is a believer in McVay.

“Really happy for Sean McVay!” Cousins tweeted after the Rams announced the hire.

In Washington, McVay also got “buy-in” and production from receiver DeSean Jackson, who will be a free agent.

“Like I told you last time I saw You before Exit Meetings You the Man Now !! Congrats To a young Talented Coach Sean McVay,” Jackson wrote on Instagram.

Alan Chadwick, McVay’s high school coach, said talent, competitiveness and football intellect were “probably something he inherited in his DNA.”

McVay’s grandfather, John, also played at Miami and played and coached in the NFL before becoming a San Francisco 49ers executive who helped put together five Super Bowl winners. His uncle, John McVay Jr., also played at Miami, and his father, Tim, played at Indiana.

McVay’s knack for nurturing quarterbacks is easy to trace: He starred at the position in high school in Georgia before switching to receiver in college.

At Marist High, McVay ran the triple option and helped lead his team to a state title.

“He was such a gifted athlete from an explosion, quickness and speed factor,” said Chadwick, who has coached at Marist for 41 years, the last 32 as head coach. “He was constantly making big plays, extending plays and making a lot of things out of things that just fell apart.”

McVay rushed for more than 1,000 yards and passed for more than 1,000 in each of his last two seasons.

Chadwick said McVay’s NFL pedigree showed up even then: He took his offensive linemen out to a nice dinner before a playoff game.

“‘You don’t do that kind of thing unless you’ve been there and been around programs that do that,” Chadwick said.

On one occasion, Chadwick said he went out of his way to let McVay know he was paying attention after the quarterback made a rare mistake.

“I was just running him up one side and down the other for about five minutes,” Chadwick said, laughing. “I turned around and walked away and then turned around and did it again. Just one of those things that says you expect him to be better.

“He walks back to where the trainers are and he just turned to the doctors who had been watching and listening. He says, ‘That’s OK, he thinks I’m hard of hearing.’ ”

As a Miami assistant, Shane Montgomery recruited McVay to play receiver. Montgomery, who became head coach near the end of the 2004 season, remembers an easy transition for an intelligent player with quarterback experience.

“They put a lot on him in high school,” said Montgomery, now offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Youngstown State. “He was such a great quarterback, he knew where the receivers should be.”

After redshirting, McVay’s freshman season was cut short because of injury. He caught 38 passes over the next two seasons.

McVay had one more year of eligibility but decided instead to pursue coaching.

“Up until then, he hadn’t said a lot about it,” Montgomery recalled.

McVay joined Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff in 2008 as an offensive assistant.

When Gruden was fired, McVay became the receivers coach for the United Football League’s Florida Tuskers, working under former Rams coach Jim Haslett and with several other experienced coaches.

Receiver Dominique Thompson, who played in college at William & Mary, had NFL stints with the Rams and the Carolina Panthers before joining the Tuskers for training camp.

When he first met McVay, he thought he was a fellow player, not a coach.

“But working with him, you could see he was very high energy and that he definitely knew his stuff,” Thompson said. “He was wise beyond his years.”

McVay returned to the NFL the following year as Washington’s assistant tight ends coach, and then became the tight ends coach for the next three seasons before he was promoted to offensive coordinator.

In 2014, Washington was 13th in the NFL in total offense. After a drop to 17th in 2015, they jumped to third this season.

Now McVay moves from working with the offense to overseeing the entire team.

His former coaches said he would have no problem commanding the room.

“He’s got the total package,” Chadwick said. “Intelligence, knowledge, experience and the personality to work with people.”

Montgomery pointed to the role models McVay has worked with during his coaching career, including Jon and Jay Gruden and Mike Shanahan.

“You can never predict that someone can have a chance to be an NFL head coach at age 30,” Montgomery said. ‘If there’s someone who can do it, it’s a guy like him that’s very well-respected, a good communicator and very sharp.”

Tweets on McVay from DC ESPN Writer Jason Reid@JReidESPN

Jason Reid@JReidESPN

Sean McVay is extremely smart and capable. He’s a hard worker and a good man. He gets it on every level. He also has a huge challenge ahead.

For Gruden’s sake, it’s imperative he hires an OC who was as organized as McVay. To quote a Redskins official, “Trust me, Jay needs Sean.”

The thing about McVay is that he’s fiercely loyal to the people for whom he works. He learned that from his grandfather.

When McVay was tight ends coach, lobbied hard for Reed. Used to go over plays with him at team hotel night before games.

Would actually set up chairs in conference room at hotel and go through route tree, what defenses might do, how Jordan should counter, etc.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Wade Phillips has agreed to terms to become Rams defensive coordinator, per source

McVay already showing he gets it as a head coach. Forget hiring your buddy. Hire the right guy.

McVay knew he needs an old hand. Say what you want to about Wade, but he can coach him some defense.

Believe it or not, Jay isn’t the most, well, detailed guy on some things, people in the building say. McVay is. I’ll leave it at that.

I don’t know if McVay will succeed in LA. That’s a tough gig. But he’s smart. And he understands people/players. Half battle.

Sean is a huge loss. Anyone who argues otherwise is either lying or has no clue of dynamics in building/on staff

Rams make Sean McVay youngest head coach in NFL history

USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2017/01/12/sean-mcvay-los-angeles-hired/96464688/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories

The Los Angeles Rams made NFL history with their coaching hire on Thursday.

In being named to the Rams’ top job, former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay, 30, becomes the youngest coach to ever lead a team. Former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, who was appointed to the position at 31 in 2007, was the previous holder of the title. McVay turns 31 on Jan. 24.

McVay helped Washington finish with the No. 3 overall offense this season, his second as coordinator.

“This is an exciting day for the Los Angeles Rams as we welcome Sean McVay as our new head coach,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a release. “The accomplishments and success that he has rendered in less than a decade in our league are remarkable. I am confident in his vision to make this team a consistent winner and to ultimately bring a Super Bowl title home to Los Angeles.”

In Los Angeles, McVay will be faced with rebuilding an offense that ranked last in the NFL in each of the past two seasons. The Rams finished 4-12 and are without their first-round draft pick after trading up last year to select quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick.

off the net from Rams43

on NFL Network just now…

Jared Goff was in on the initial McVay interview!

This is per Mike Silver.

Goff and McVay bonded and Goff came away VERY impressed from the jump.

ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
The #Rams signed new coach Sean McVay to a 5-year contract, source said. So… he will almost be 40 then (in just a few years)