Family aside, Rams’ Sean McVay can’t see himself being an old NFL coach
Sean McVay has enjoyed success in his five seasons as coach of the Rams, and he could add a Super Bowl title to his resumé if the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
But McVay, 36, went back and forth Friday when asked if he could see himself coaching into his 60s, a la New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who has won six Super Bowl titles.
“No chance,” he said initially, during a news conference in Thousand Oaks. “I love this. But if I’m doing it till 60, I won’t make it.”
A reporter pointed out that McVay, a football junkie, enjoys rallying players and coaches.
Why can’t he coach into his 60s, or 70s, like Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll?
“I joke about it,” said McVay, who has 55-26 record in the regular season and 6-3 in the playoffs. “Here’s what I would tell you … I love this so much, that it’s such a passion. But I also know that what I’ve seen from some of my closest friends, whether it’s coaches or even some of our players.
“I’m going to be married this summer, want to have a family, and I think being able to find that balance but also be able to give the time necessary.”
McVay said he “always had a dream about being able to be a father” and that he could not predict the future.
“I know I love football and I’m so invested in this thing, and I’m in the moment right now,” he said. “But at some point too if you said, ‘What do you want to be able to do?’ I want to be able have a family, and I want to be able to spend time with them, and I also know how much time is taken away during these months of the year.”
Super Bowl strategy: The Bengals’ passing game is much talked about, but that threat is what opens opportunities for Joe Mixon to run and catch passes. Rams linebackers must be ready.
McVay pointed out that his father, Tim, has a special relationship with his grandfather, John McVay, a former NFL coach and San Francisco 49ers executive who was part of five Super Bowl championship seasons. Sean McVay said his father is a great leader and would have been “an unbelievable coach.”
“But one of the things that prevented him from getting into coaching was, ‘Man, I had such a great relationship, but my dad missed out on a lot of the things,’” McVay said. “And he didn’t want to do that with me and my little brother. And so, I always remembered that, and at some point want to be able to have a family and so that’s why I say that.
“But, s---, you’ll probably be talking to me when I’m 61 doing this stuff.”
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
