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Even past Super Bowl winners have become enamored with the body of work the Los Angeles Rams have accomplished — with Sean McVay serving as the sideline mastermind as head coach.
And that includes a current head coach who owns a Super Bowl ring as one who has been impressed with McVay, to the point where he would target him and one other Ram if he were a general manager in the NFL.
That coach is Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who revealed why in his interview with Brandon Marshall on the I Am Athlete podcast released on Saturday, August 13.
What Super Bowl Winning HC Said
Before McVay, Tomlin was the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl at 36 years of age on February 1, 2009. He guided the Steelers past the Arizona Cardinals in thrilling fashion 27-23 with Santonio Holmes’ epic toe drag touchdown.
McVay replaced Tomlin in that category on February 13, 2022 as someone who may have been the same age as Tomlin, but was 303 days younger when his Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. And much like Tomlin’s Super Bowl win with the Steelers, the game ended with an epic end zone catch [made by Cooper Kupp] and a crucial defensive stop [delivered by Aaron Donald].
Tomlin not only cited McVay as someone he would hire if he were a general manager, but added Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers too.
“I love my young go-getters out west, McVay and Shanahan. Man, I’ve been boys with those guys a long time,” Tomlin told the former wide receiver turned podcast host and NFL analyst.
What is it about the 49ers head coach and the recent Super Bowl winner that Tomlin likes?
“They’re challenging schematically. They take it personal,” Tomlin described. “They’re trying to put their foot on your throat each and every week, and I think their players sense that and buy into that.”
McVay has earned praise in the league as a player-driven head coach whose youthful age makes him relatable to his players. Like Tomlin, McVay is yet to experience a losing season since he’s been a head coach in the NFL, which dates back to 2017 when he became the youngest NFL head coach ever at 30 years old.
Tomlin Would Hire One More Ram
McVay isn’t the only member of the Rams staff he would try to lure if he held a GM job.
The other? Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who Tomlin believed was a significant addition to the Rams before their Vince Lombardi trophy run last season.
“I think he was significant in terms of getting [the Rams] over the top this year,” Tomlin said. “His presence is always felt. Wherever he’s been, whatever side of the ball he works on, he’s always getting after it.”
Like McVay, Morris is another coach who is considered to be in the player’s coach category with his persona. However, he’s also known to be a verbose trash talker during practices and at training camp — which still lightens the mood on the field.
Tomlin and Morris have a history together. They were on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff from 2002 to 2005 while working with the Bucs’ defensive back unit.
Tomlin’s interview can be listened to below.
