When Sean McVay first became the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, there was a ton of speculation about the kind of job he would do. But his unprecedented success with the organization has spawned a movement in his name.
Today, he is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the league. However, just a few years ago, McVay came awfully close to leaving the head coaching ranks until one moment changed his career trajectory.
Sean McVay Almost Left Coaching
Coming in as the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time, McVay found immediate success with the Rams. Turning the franchise into a high-flying offense, he brought back memories of “The Greatest Show on Turf” in an instant.
However, the success wasn’t limited to just offensive explosions. Taking them to the Super Bowl in the 2018 season, he won his first championship in the 2021 season, as the Rams took care of business against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.
Unfortunately, the very next season was a disaster for the team. With injuries derailing their momentum, they won just five games, and an aging roster made the future look dire. At the time, it almost led to McVay leaving his job.
Speaking on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, he revealed the gravity of the situation. “You’re really getting broken down. I mean, I almost quit coaching. And you can use the narrative that I was gonna go to media or whatever, but the truth would’ve been, I was quitting.”
Being extremely candid, he continued, “I couldn’t handle the losing. It was almost like a scarlet letter. There were moments, you think about it, it’s so crazy to me. I was counting down the days for that season to be over.”
“I remember explaining the situation to my wife, Veronika,” McVay continued. “Maybe I’ll step away, it’s gonna be a really tough upcoming season. Here are my options, had some media stuff, and if I had done that, I would’ve conveniently hid behind that. But the reality is, I would have been quitting. I was trying to rationalize and justify why I should do it.”
However, it was one specific conversation with his wife that turned the entire story around. “I was explaining it, and she just kind of looked at me, and it was very loving and supportive. But it was kind of like, this is only coming from your wife, where it really landed the punch. She’s like, ‘You know, that never really sounded like the kind of leader you wanted to be.'”
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“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” McVay added. “And I also remember thinking to myself, ‘The most important thing I’ve always wanted to do is be a father and be a husband.’ And I’ll never be able to look at my little boy when he grows up and goes through adversity and say, ‘Do as I say, not as I did.'”
Since then, McVay has had an extremely successful stretch in the NFL. Not only has Matthew Stafford won the first MVP of his career, but the team has been a mainstay in the playoffs and a legitimate contender in the NFC.
Going a step further in each of the last three years, the next step for them could be a return to the Super Bowl.
The upcoming season is a big test for Los Angeles. After a spectacular 2025 campaign, they fell just short of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. Now, they’ve made a few huge moves in the offseason to retool the roster.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams posted an impact score of 92.3, the best in the league. With all of their key offensive players returning, the Rams are expected to have one of the league’s best offenses in 2026 as well.
But their window could be over soon as Stafford inches closer to retirement. However, with McVay finding his joy and purpose in coaching, a successful season could continue to motivate him to push forward as the years continue.
