With his Los Angeles Rams playing in their second Super Bowl in four seasons Sunday, this time against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sean McVay is already one of the NFL’s best head coaches.
But a toll on every non-football part of you comes pre-packaged with such success. It’s one McVay might be preparing to surrender altogether.
According to ESPN, the 36-year-old phenom coach is pondering his future and what role football has in it after his Rams (-4.5) and Bengals square off in Super Bowl LVI. And that includes prioritizing his family, the coach explained this week.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for being incredulous at seeing someone as talented as McVay walking away near his peak. Under McVay’s steady hand, the Rams have won 55 games in five seasons, six playoff games, and two NFC titles.
He’s a multimillionaire who’s turned L.A. into a marquee franchise where some of football’s brightest stars — including Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp, Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr., and Matthew Stafford — are playing to win a championship. Barring some sort of catastrophic injury to their core, the Rams should continue to be one of the league’s titans for the foreseeable future.
Why walk away from this life now?
The answer is simple: There’s more to life than coaching football. Via ESPN:
“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 gonna be married this summer, I 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. “I have always had a dream about being able to be a father and I can’t predict the future, you know? I jokingly say that.[“]
Being there for your family necessitates giving them time you would otherwise commit to football. Some people have managed to do both but at a tremendous cost. This sort of lifestyle, especially for someone still just in their mid-30s, isn’t sustainable or healthy.
McVay understands as much and further explained his mindset, citing his father’s approach to family versus that of his grandfather, John McVay, who coached New York Giants and was general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. More from ESPN:
“I also know how much time is taken away during these months of the year and I saw that growing up,” McVay continued, describing how he remembered his father and grandfather’s relationship, the latter of which is a former NFL head coach/general manager.
“He has such a special relationship with my grandpa who was a coach and in personnel 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 but didn’t want to do that with me and my little brother. So, I always remembered that, and at some point, I want to be able to have a family. So, that’s why I say that. But, s—, you’ll probably be talking to me when I’m 61 doing this stuff.
“Who knows?”
The rumor mill has been abuzz that McVay might — emphasis on might — consider stepping away from coaching and moving into a TV analyst role. That would not only be a seamless switch, but it also would undoubtedly ask less of McVay’s time and effort (in addition to paying him more).
Beyond someone taking care of their personal life, we’re all for it. God only knows the NFL could use a dynamic personality like McVay injecting life into some of these outdated broadcasts.
Whatever the future does hold for McVay, kudos to him for considering that there is more to life than who you are as a professional. It’s a timeless lesson for all of us.
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