LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams have made Sean McVay the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, and he appears to be getting some experienced help.
The Rams on Thursday hired McVay, who turns 31 on Jan. 24. Several hours later, ESPN.com reported the Rams have finalized a deal with 69-year-old Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, although the team declined to confirm it.
McVay has been the Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator since 2014. He will replace Jeff Fisher, who was fired 13 games into the Rams’ homecoming season in Los Angeles, and interim head coach John Fassel, who led the Rams to a 4-12 finish in their 13th consecutive non-winning season.
“The accomplishments and success that he has had in less than a decade in our league are impressive,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “We are confident in his vision to make this team a consistent winner and we will all continue to work together to achieve our ultimate goal, bringing a Rams Super Bowl championship home to Los Angeles.”
McVay spent the past three seasons as Jay Gruden’s offensive coordinator with the Redskins. He has been an assistant since 2010 in Washington, where he worked with Gruden and Bill Callahan to build a prolific offense led by quarterback Kirk Cousins.
McVay’s most important task is likely to be the transformation of No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff into a star after his rough rookie campaign behind a struggling offensive line.
“Really happy for Sean McVay!” Cousins tweeted.
The Rams made the eye-catching move on the same day that the Chargers announced their relocation to Los Angeles to share the Rams’ $2.6 billion stadium. The Chargers are still without a coach, and the Rams grabbed some of their headlines by snagging one of the most interesting names on the coaching market.
“I am incredibly honored by this opportunity,” McVay said in a statement, thanking Kroenke and Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff. “Collectively, we are committed to building a championship-caliber team, and I’m excited to start that process and make our fans proud.”
McVay wowed the Rams’ top brass during two recent interviews, but he is an unorthodox choice for the franchise, which hasn’t taken many extraordinary risks during Kroenke’s tenure. While McVay is respected as an up-and-coming NFL mind, he has understandably meager experience, including none as a head coach at any level of football.
