The Los Angeles Rams kicked off free agency with a tremendous start by bringing in former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay. The young head coach dazzled in his interviews with nearly every source close to the organization confirming his legitimacy.
Los Angeles officially welcomed McVay by holding his first press conference as head coach. Along with COO Kevin Demoff and general manager Les Snead, the staff discussed what factored into the decision to make McVay their new head coach. According to Joe Curley of Ventura County Star, Demoff was clear on the qualities the Rams were searching for during the hiring process:
Demoff said Rams were looking for a 1. Skilled communicator 2. Innovative tactician 3. Energetic presence in a candidate. @CVRamsClub
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) January 13, 2017
McVay has already proved during his short coaching tenure that he easily possesses all three of these qualities and then some. Demoff went even more in-depth about the hiring process, saying they consulted with a number of notable figures close to the organization including Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden, and Marshall Faulk.
Although many fans were hoping for Gruden to come out of retirement at the beginning of the offseason, Los Angeles may have gotten the next closest thing. Gruden himself had been advising the Rams on their coaching search and described McVay as ‘special.’ Demoff had even gone so far as to say the two are eerily similar according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
#Rams COO Kevin Demoff on coach Sean McVay: “When I close my eyes, there are times I hear Jon Gruden.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2017
t should certainly come as no surprise McVay considers Gruden a mentor to his coaching career. Furthermore, Demoff added that he and Hall of Fame running back Faulk had dinner with McVay before the signing and both walked away with certainty he was the right man for the job.
While it is encouraging to see the overwhelming support the new coach has received, there is still much more work to be done this offseason that includes rebuilding both the roster and the rest of the coaching staff.
