5 HC candidates the LA Rams must call if Sean McVay leaves
After years of underachieving under Jeff Fisher, the Los Angeles Rams hit the jackpot when they hired Sean McVay to be their head coach in 2017. Right off the bat, McVay turned the LA Rams into a playoff team. While he originally did it with some of the players he inherited from Fisher, he kept adding talent to the roster and eventually did what his predecessor couldn’t: Win a Super Bowl.
But after six years at the helm, it sounds as if Sean McVay is ready to retire. As a matter of fact, he told his staff that he doesn’t know what he will do next but won’t prevent them from looking for other jobs, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
#Rams coach Sean McVay, whose future is in limbo, has permitted his coaching staff to search for other jobs without resistance, per sources. McVay said in a staff meeting that he doesn’t know what he will do next year and won’t block those who want to explore opportunities
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 10, 2023
McVay could’ve joined the Amazon broadcast team last season if he had wanted to but ultimately chose to return to the sidelines. He will reportedly be pursued by TV networks once again, so he will have his fair share of options if he decides to hang up his headset. With that in mind, here are five candidates the Rams must pursue if Sean McVay walks away.
No. 5 Head coach candidate the LA Rams must pursue if Sean McVay leaves: Shane Waldron
Besides putting players in a position to succeed and win, Sean McVay has shown the ability to develop coaches. Under his tutelage, Many of his assistants have gone on to earn promotions with other clubs.
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Zach Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), and Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers) stand out the most because they got head-coaching jobs but they’re not the only assistants that have flourished under McVay’s tutelage.
Shane Waldron was the Rams’ tight ends coach in 2017 and was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2018. He also served as the Los Angeles quarterbacks coach in 2019. He was hired by the Seattle Seahawks to become their offensive coordinator in 2021 and is a big reason for Geno Smith’s late-career surge in 2022.
The Hawks’ offense ranked 20th in points scored in Waldron’s first season as their coordinator. However, you could make the case that a disgruntled Rusell Wilson, not Waldron, was the biggest reason for their inability to put points on the scoreboard. After all, Seattle’s offense ranked ninth in points scored with Smith at the helm this past season.
It’s hard to tell if Waldron will be a hot name in the next hiring cycle but it would make sense for the Rams to get in touch with someone who has close knowledge of the current roster and has previously worked for them.