Sean Mcvay - Pro Football Rumors

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

June 29th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.

Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.

While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.

As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:

Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022

Sean McVay Comments On Aaron Donald Situation

June 1st, 2022 at 7:22pm CST by Ely Allen

We recently wrote about some comments made by Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast. Donald’s comments echoed sentiments we heard after the team’s Super Bowl victory that the 31-year-old might be done playing football after eight years in the league. Specifically, Donald seemed to indicate that if he and the Rams can’t come to an agreement on a new contract, he would be “at peace” with his career coming to a close.

Earlier this week, Rams head coach Sean McVay remarked on the comments and his view of the situation with Donald, according to Cameron DaSilva of USA Today. “We’ve had great dialogue,” McVay stated. “The goal all along has been to try to get this thing figured out, but also like I’ve said, if there’s anybody that’s earned the right to make the decision on their own terms…it’s Aaron.”

McVay went on to frame the situation in an optimistic light. “Things are trending in the right direction,” he continued. “We have regular dialogue with Aaron and the goal is to figure out how to get a contract done that he feels good about, that we feel good about, and have him continue to do his thing for the Rams leading the way.”

Donald currently has three years remaining on his six-year, $135MM contract. He’s only due to make $14.25MM next year, though, and Donald is seeking a raise based on everything he’s done for the Rams since signing that deal in 2018. Donald hasn’t appeared at OTAs this year, but that’s hardly out of the ordinary for the completely voluntary workouts.

When asked if Donald will be at mandatory minicamp next week, McVay expressed some hope. “I think so. That’s the plan right now, so we’ll see. I sure hope so, so I don’t have to answer your questions next week about it,” McVay joked. “No, I think he’ll be here. That’s the plan.”

Latest On Rams’ Snead, McVay, Donald, Kupp

March 30th, 2022 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

While they have made a number of big-name additions in recent years, a key core of players and personnel have been present throughout the recent success the Rams have enjoyed. Included among those is general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay, along with All-Pros Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Athletic, each member of that quartet is in line for new or re-worked contracts.

As chief operating officer Kevin Demoff recently confirmed, both Snead and McVay “will receive contract extensions prior to the official start of the 2022 season”. It had been known for some time that McVay would be getting a new deal after he confirmed his intention to continue coaching. Likewise, Snead been extended parallel to McVay in recent years, including their joint re-signing in 2019.

“They want to be aligned”, Demoff said. “They speak the same language and they see football the same way. They’re motivated to build teams together the same way. When you find that partnership, you want to keep it.”

As for Donald, Rodrigue reports that “the team is working out a new contract for [him] and expects it to be done soon”. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has three years remaining on his current deal, which he signed in 2018 following a holdout one year earlier. There is optimism a repeat of that will be avoided, as negotiations have “been nothing but positive” for an extension which is thought to represent a large raise on his current $22.5MM-per-year pact.

For Kupp, meanwhile, an extension – or at least a restructure of his current deal – will become the priority after Donald. He has two years remaining on a contract which is set to pay him just over $14.5MM per season. While the 29-year-old isn’t “looking to top the [WR] pay charts”, as far as the front office is aware, a raise spread out over a longer term is their goal. Doing so could open up some needed financial flexibility, given the addition of Allen Robinson and the teams’ ongoing efforts to re-sign Odell Beckham Jr.

While change is inevitable for any team – even Super Bowl winners – it appears much of the Rams’ nucleus will be remaining in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Rams, Vikings, Giants

March 5th, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Kyle Shanahan has had to deal with quite a bit of turnover on his coaching staff this offseason. One of the most notable additions was made last night, however. According to his (now former) ESPN colleague Adam Schefter, San Francisco has brought in Brian Griese to become the team’s new quarterbacks coach (Twitter link).

This marks the first time the 46-year-old will hold a coaching role at the college or NFL level. He had followed in his father’s footsteps in terms of transitioning from a playing career to the broadcast booth. He initially joined ESPN’s college crew, before being brought on to the Monday Night Football broadcast team in 2020. That followed an 11-year career in the NFL, including five seasons with the Broncos where he won a Super Bowl as John Elway’ s backup.

The former Rose Bowl MVP will replace Rich Scangarello, who left the Bay Area to become the offensive coordinator at Kentucky. His first season on the sidelines will be an important one, with the team expected to transition to Trey Lance as their new starting QB. How quickly he meshes with Shanahan – who was on the Bucs’ staff when Griese played in Tampa – will be critical to the team’s success in 2022.

Here are some other notes from the NFC:

Before hiring Griese, San Francisco interviewed ex-Bears QBs coach John Defilippo “and a few others”, according to Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). In related 49ers’ news, running backs coach Bobby Turner will take this season off to rehab from two surgeries. However, the 72-year-old intends to return in 2023, tweets David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Staying in the NFC West, Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown will transition from coaching running backs to tight ends, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (Twitter link). He will be a valuable staffer for Sean McVay, who has also lost a number of assistants in 2022; Brown will hire his replacement.
The Vikings have announced several additions to their staff, as noted by Chris Tomasson of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Among them are Tony Sorrentino as an assistant WRs coach, Derron Montgomery as an offensive quality control coach and Ryan Cordell as a passing game specialist. On the defense side of the ball, the Vikings are bringing in A’Lique Terry to assist on the defensive line, as well as Steve Donatell – the son of new DC Ed Donatell – as a defensive quality control coach.
The Giants have hired Angela Baker to be an offensive quality control coach, per a team announcement. She is the first recipient of the Rosie Brown Minority Coaching Fellowship, and joins Laura Young as the other woman on the team’s staff.

Sean McVay Will Not Pursue TV Jobs In 2022

February 25th, 2022 at 6:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean McVay continues to reaffirm his commitment to the Rams. After the sixth-year Rams coach’s fiancée confirmed he did not plan to retire, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds the recent rumored NFL television shakeups will not affect McVay’s status.

The Super Bowl-winning head coach is not actively pursuing a TV job, Schefter tweets. McVay confirmed this to ESPN. While the rumblings of McVay leaving the coaching ranks at a young age may not be going away, this appears a back-burner issue for now.

McVay, 36, was linked to retirement rumors ahead of Super Bowl LVI. At the Rams’ victory parade, however, he incited a “Run it back” chant alongside Aaron Donald, who was also linked to a surprise retirement. A Donald exit would still surprise, though he has not definitively announced he is returning like McVay now has.

McVay was then mentioned as a possible option for Fox, which is set to lose top analyst Troy Aikman to ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. Amazon also was planning a McVay pursuit, per Marchand. Aikman leaving Fox for Monday Night Football could set off major changes, with Al Michaels’ NBC play-by-play job also in flux. Michaels, linked to Amazon as well, has a good relationship with McVay, Marchand adds, bringing more smoke into this situation.

The Rams are believed to be planning another McVay extension. He is currently attached to an $8.5MM-per-year agreement, one he signed in 2019. With Tony Romo earning nearly $20MM in salary at CBS, McVay could have conceivably commanded a far more lucrative salary as a TV analyst than he does as a coach. However, the Rams should be expected to raise McVay’s coaching salary considerably this offseason. It perhaps should be the expectation this saga ends with McVay becoming the NFL’s new highest-paid HC.

Rams Hire Liam Coen As OC, Bring Back Greg Olson

February 21st, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

The favorite for the Rams’ offensive coordinator job is indeed being hired. Liam Coen is set to return to L.A., according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). He adds that Greg Olson is also being brought back to the Rams.

It was reported as recently as last night that Coen was at the top of the list of OC candidates for the Rams. He spent three years with Sean McVay, working first with the team’s wide receivers and then quarterbacks. That marked his first foray into coaching at the NFL level, following eight seasons in the college ranks.

Coen then returned to the NCAA last year, working as the OC at Kentucky. The 36-year-old received multiple offers to leave that post, but, before this instance, turned them down. The Wildcats were reportedly prepared to lose him last week, though, which signalled that a return to L.A. was likely. He will represent a familiar face on a coaching staff that has undergone significant changes this offseason.

The same can be said for Olson, who, unlike Coen, has a plethora of NFL experience. He has been an OC on six different occasions, including the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the then-St. Louis Rams. Most recently, the 58-year-old had been leading the offense of the Raiders during his second stint with the team. That began after his one-year gig with the Rams during McVay’s first year in charge, where he held the familiar title of quarterbacks coach.

Lastly, Breer reports that Thomas Brown is being given “more responsibility within the offense and team”. Brown, 35, spent 2020 as the team’s running backs coach. Last year, he had the title of assistant head coach added. Again, retaining him – and expanding his role, at that – will be critical to maintaining stability on the offensive staff.

These changes will play a large role in determining if the Super Bowl champions can repeat their top-ten output in terms of points (27) and yards (387) per game in 2021. If they can, they will be in contention to win back-to-back titles.

NFL Coaching Notes: Rams, Brown, Bengals, Texans

February 20th, 2022 at 10:41pm CST by Ely Allen

While the Rams have lost Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips to Minnesota, it appears they won’t see their entire offensive staff dismantled. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, assistant quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson is expected to stay with the team with a bit of a promotion in title.

The Rams still have an offensive coordinator position up for grabs. Currently, the favorite to land the job is University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Coen worked on the Rams’ offensive staff for three years before spending last year in Lexington. He’s turned down multiple job offers recently to remain at Kentucky, but the opportunity to rejoin Sean McVay in Los Angeles may be too good to pass up.

Here are a few more coaching notes from the NFL starting with another note from the Super Bowl LVI champions:

Rapoport also reported that Rams’ running backs coach and assistant head coach Thomas Brown is expected to return to Los Angeles. Brown received head coaching interest from Miami and was a candidate to join O’Connell in Minnesota as offensive coordinator before Phillips was announced earlier today. Brown’s presence will provide McVay with some much needed continuity to his offensive staff.
The Bengals have hired Charles Burks from the Dolphins to become their cornerbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. No word yet on the status of the Bengals’ cornerbacks coach from last season, Steve Jackson.
The Texans’ have hired Ted White with the official title of offensive assistant-quarterbacks. White had recently accepted the position of offensive coordinator at Grambling State University under head coach Hue Jackson, but Jackson will have to find someone else to fill the role. White has molded quarterbacks at Texas Southern, Southern, his alma mater of Howard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Prairie View A&M. He’ll be tasked with the development of second-year quarterback Davis Mills.

NFC Coaching Notes: Rams, Hankerson, Lions, Commanders, Packers, Giants

February 18th, 2022 at 11:15pm CST by Ely Allen

University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen has received heaps of interest around the football world, turning down several college jobs and an NFL job to stay in Lexington. But it sounds as if Coen may soon receive an offer he can’t refuse.

In one year at the helm of the offense, Coen took the Wildcats from 115th in yards per game to 50th. He also improved the scoring offense from 107th in the country to 35th, quickly making him one of the hottest names in college coaching.

It just about looked like Kentucky was going to be able to hold on to their game changer, but, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they are bracing for the possibility of Coen leaving to return to the Rams in Los Angeles. Prior to his year in Kentucky, Coen spent three years on Sean McVay‘s offensive staff, and a chance to rejoin McVay may be too good to pass up.

Here are a couple more coaching notes from the NFC starting with the promotion of a former Hurricane:

With wide receivers coach Wes Welker heading to Miami, the 49ers have offered the position to offensive quality control coach Leonard Hankerson, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. After a five-year career as an NFL wide receiver out of the University of Miami, Hankerson coached wide receivers at UMass and Stephen F. Austin before joining the staff in San Francisco last year.
The Lions have parted ways with inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone this week, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. The son of offensive line coach legend George DeLeone, Mark was hired by Detroit last year after time with the Jets, Chiefs, and Bears. They have two internal candidates who could potentially fill the role: defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas, who coached inside linebackers in his time at Princeton, and director of football research David Corrao who coached linebackers for the Dolphins during his time in Miami from 2008-2015.
With longtime assistant coach Pete Hoener retiring, the Commanders are hiring veteran coach Juan Castillo to handle tight ends, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Castillo is rejoining Ron Rivera, who coached with him for the five seasons Rivera was in Philadelphia from 1999-2003. Castillo has also spent time with the Ravens, Bills, and Bears in various roles on the offensive staff.
With their outside linebacker coach Mike Smith leaving to pursue other opportunities, the Packers have hired Jason Rebrovich as his replacement. The 20-year NFL coaching veteran has had stints with the Bills and Jaguars coaching players like Josh Allen, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue. In addition, the Packers also announced the return of former offensive coordinator Tom Clements to replace Luke Getsy as quarterbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Clements coached for the Packers’ offense for 11 years before retiring after two years with the Cardinals.
The Giants have hired Angela Baker as a minority coaching fellow and offensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Baker is the second female to be added to Brian Daboll‘s staff after Laura Young followed Daboll from Buffalo, where she worked as player services coordinator, for the position of director of coaching operations. The Giants are quickly trying to become a more progressive staff. In 2020, Hannah Burnett was hired as the team’s first full-time female scout.

Latest On Aaron Donald, Sean McVay

February 16th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumblings of early retirements for Sean McVay and Aaron Donald have, to some degree, clouded the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI celebration. At the team’s championship parade Wednesday, however, the duo did not make it sound like immediate exits are in play.

McVay started a “run it back” chant, while Donald also addressed the situation in a way that would make it difficult to imagine him retiring this year.

“We built a super team. We can bring a super team back. We can run it back,” Donald said, via USA Today’s Josh Peter.

Chiming in on the matter shortly after McVay’s appearance on stage at the parade, Rams COO Kevin Demoff said the 36-year-old head coach is “ready to defend our title,” via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This would obviously be great news for the Rams, who would be one of the frontrunners to win Super Bowl LVII with McVay and Donald back. Some adjustments might need to be made in order to ensure both return.

The Rams may need to adjust Donald’s contract to ensure his 2022 return, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Donald has shared with teammates he would be ready to walk away earlier than expected, though Fowler adds these teammates have not exactly believed him. Still, this will be a situation to monitor this offseason.

Money being a driver for this retirement buzz this should not be a big surprise. Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt have surpassed Donald’s salary since he and the Rams agreed on a six-year, $135MM extension in 2018. Khalil Mack topped Donald’s $22.5MM-AAV mark later that week, but the Bears defender only did so by $500K per year. Watt’s Steelers re-up tops Donald by $5.5MM per year. With Donald going into his age-31 season, it would make sense for him to capitalize with a final top-market accord. Three seasons remain on Donald’s deal, so the Rams making an adjustment might not involve a new contract altogether.

McVay is expected to receive another extension. His current $8.5MM-per-year deal runs through 2023. Given the Rams’ arc since he took over in 2017 (four playoff appearances, two Super Bowls), he can demand to be the game’s highest-paid HC. McVay signed his last deal in 2019. During Super Bowl week, McVay addressed the topic of an earlier-than-expected exit, and when discussing his 2022 status Monday, the five-year HC did not commit to being back on the sidelines next season. Factoring in McVay’s Wednesday comments and the team he will have in place, it would be a major surprise if the Rams needed a new coach soon.

Latest On Sean McVay’s Future

February 15th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

After the Rams’ Super Bowl victory, questions around head coach Sean McVay‘s future continue. When asked about his intention of remaining with the team for the 2022 season – something he already addressed in the lead-up to the game – his response was “we’ll see”.

McVay gave that answer when speaking to Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. It represents a stark contrast to the report before the Super Bowl from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that he is “committed to this team and coaching”.

As Chase Goodbread of NFL.com adds, McVay went on to say, “I’m just enjoying this moment right now. I’m really happy to be a part of this. Happy for that”. He also pointed out that winning a Super Bowl title might accelerate the process of his moving on from coaching. When asked if the championship would make it easier for McVay to leave the sidelines, he answered, “I think you could definitely say that”, according to Pro Football Talk’s Curtis Crabtree.

McVay, 36, became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl with the victory on Sunday. Considering it was already the team’s second appearance in the title game in his five seasons at the helm, the thought of retirement seems far less likely than an extension to rank him amongst the highest-paid coaches in the NFL.

Nevertheless, Rams COO Kevin Demoff said, “I would agree I don’t think Sean’s current pace is sustainable, in terms of how much work he puts in, if you want to have a family”, something that McVay has repeatedly referenced when asked about his plans. Demoff added, “A month away, two months away, from everybody and I think things will feel a lot better”. Time away from the game for McVay in the offseason will likely help shape his intentions, which will in turn play a large role in the Rams’ future decisions.