Sean McVay watched Saturday’s preseason game between the Rams and Chargers from a different vantage point. He spent the night in the coach’s booth – with a brief stop in the broadcast booth, too – while Aubrey Pleasant assumed the role of head coach.
Pleasant, the Rams’ pass game coordinator and assistant head coach, took over head-coaching duties for a night, which was an awesome opportunity that he greatly appreciated. McVay is all about empowering his coaches and this gesture with Pleasant is just the latest example of that.
The Rams mic’d up Pleasant for the game and it’s incredibly easy to see why so many players and coaches love him. He coaches with a lot of passion and truly cares about his players, much like the way McVay does.
Before the game started, Pleasant went up to every assistant coach and told them how much he appreciates and loves them. During the game, he was upbeat and engaged, even after Stetson Bennett’s interception and Joshua Karty’s missed field goal.
He also made sure Jim Harbaugh knew how much he respects him, both before kickoff and after the final whistle.
Pleasant is viewed as a potential head-coaching candidate in 2025 and this opportunity will only help him prepare for any interviews he gets next offseason.