The Washington Redskins have been in the market for a defensive coordinator this offseason. Now, they’ll need to find an offensive coordinator as well. Sean McVay will become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced on Thursday. McVay met with the Rams on Wednesday for his second interview after making a strong impression in his first meeting with the organization last Thursday.
McVay, 30, will be the youngest head coach in NFL history, surpassing Lane Kiffin when he was hired by the Oakland Raiders at 31 years old in 2007. McVay will turn 31 on Jan. 24.
Despite his age, McVay has been widely regarded as a bright offensive mind. The Redskins finished third in total offense this season, averaging 403.4 yards per game, and 12th in scoring, producing 24.8 points per contest, during McVay’s third season as offensive coordinator. He spent seven seasons in Washington, quickly climbing the ranks under both Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden from assistant tight ends coach (2010) to tight ends coach (2011-13) until he was named offensive coordinator in 2014 during Gruden’s first season as head coach.
McVay comes from a football background as his grandfather, John McVay, was the head coach of the New York Giants from 1976 to 1978 and became the general manager for the San Francisco 49ers the following year. The elder McVay played an integral role in the franchise’s five Super Bowls during the 1980s and 1990s.
Sean McVay was also interviewed by those 49ers, who inducted John McVay into their Hall of Fame in 2013, on Monday for their vacant head coaching position. Instead, he will now receive the opportunity to mold quarterback Jared Goff, who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. McVay worked with Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins in his first opportunity as a full-time starting quarterback, and Cousins recorded 9,083 passing yards, 54 passing touchdowns and 23 interceptions over the past two seasons.
McVay will take over for Jeff Fisher, who was fired by the Rams on Dec. 12 with a 31-45-1 record in five seasons, in the organization’s second year in Los Angeles since relocating from St. Louis.
Meanwhile, the Redskins will now need to find McVay’s replacement just a week after they fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry. Washington has a few internal scenarios. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan has played a significant role in game planning, while tight ends coach Wes Phillips and wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard have been involved in various passing packages. Quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh has eight years of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears (1997-98) and the Baltimore Ravens (1999-2004), but he hasn’t been in that role in 12 seasons.
All four could be considered as internal candidates to replace McVay, although it’s also unknown if anyone on Gruden’s staff will accept a position on McVay’s staff in Los Angeles. With McVay’s departure, the question will likely arise whether Gruden would want to handle the play-calling once again. He did so during his first season, but Gruden handed off the responsibility so he could devote more time towards his responsibilities as a head coach.
If the Redskins want to look externally, former San Diego Chargers Coach Mike McCoy would be an intriguing candidate. There will be plenty of competition for McCoy, who was fired by the Chargers after going 27-37 in four seasons with his only playoff appearance occurring during his first season in 2013.