S
ean McVay is the youngest head coach in NFL history to earn two trips to the Super Bowl. But the name “McVay” is hardly new for long-time football fans.
Sean McVay’s father, Tim, and his grandfather, John, both played and coached football at a high level.
If the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, the McVay family will become owners of a sixth Super Bowl ring.
Tim McVay’s College Football Career
Although Tim McVay never played in the NFL, he did excel on the football field in the Big Ten for Indiana.
In three seasons, Tim posted 178 total tackles, including 11.0 tackles for loss. He also had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and defensive touchdown.
As a senior in 1977, Tim posted career highs of 83 total tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss. That defensive effort helped the Hoosiers finish with a .500 or better record for the first time in nine years.
Indiana, who the famous ESPN broadcaster Lee Corso coached at the time, went 5-5-1 that season.
The McVay family has strong roots in Big Ten country, particularly Ohio, where Sean was born. But Tim moved his family to the Atlanta area, where Sean became a football star in high school.
Playing at Marist School in Brookhaven, GA, Sean started at quarterback and led his team to a 14-1 record and state championship his senior year in 2003. For his spectacular season, he was named Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year. The runner up for the award was future Detroit Lions and Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
While the Rams will become the second team ever to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, the Rams’ last trip to the big game was a homecoming for Sean. The Rams played the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in Super Bowl LIII.
John McVay Won Five Super Bowls
Around when Tim’s college career was coming to a close, his father, Sean’s grandfather, John, began coaching in the NFL.
John coached high school football in Ohio first and then joined the Michigan State coaching staff in 1962. He returned to Ohio to become the head coach at Dayton in 1965-72. Over eight seasons, John posted a 37-41-4 record with the Flyers, and while that’s a losing record, John remains first in program history with 37 wins at the FBS level.
After spending the next two years with the Memphis Southmen in the WFL, John joined the New York Giants coaching staff. He started with the Giants as an assistant, but after opening the season 0-7, the team fired head coach Bill Arnsparger and promoted John.
Despite their win total increasing every year under John, the Giants did not renew John’s contract following the 1978 season. He posted a 14-23 record as Giants head coach.
Starting in 1980, John moved to the front office with the San Francisco 49ers. As Vice President and Director of Football Operations, John helped the 49ers win five Super Bowls over 14 seasons.
Following the team’s fourth Super Bowl during the 1989 season, The Sporting News named John the NFL Executive of the Year.
For his 21 years working in the San Francisco front office, the 49ers inducted John into the team’s Hall of Fame.
Comments
Sean McVay’s Family Tree is Rich With Football History