Sean McVay has built a strong coaching group during his eight years with the Los Angeles Rams. Five of his former assistants have become head coaches in the NFL, and many others have moved on to bigger roles in college and professional football.
One of the most significant branches of that coaching tree will face McVay on Thursday night when Kevin O’Connell brings his Minnesota Vikings (5-1) to SoFi Stadium.
O’Connell earned a Super Bowl ring as McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams (2-4). He learned a lot that helped him succeed in Minnesota, where he has turned the Vikings into a competitive team and helped USC’s Sam Darnold reach his potential in the NFL.
O’Connell acknowledges the influence McVay has had on him.
“He’s one of my closest friends in this league,” O’Connell said. “I have so much respect for him, how he runs that organization, his leadership, his football intellect. He’s as good as he gets. I’ve got nothing but love for him, and we’ll always be like that.”
The Vikings just suffered their first loss of the season to Detroit last weekend, but they still look like a team that could go far. Meanwhile, McVay’s Rams, after their championship run, seem far from contention, though they recently had a positive win against Las Vegas.
“I’m not surprised,” McVay said about the Vikings’ success. “I think he’s done a great job with a variety of different situations. Kevin’s a guy that made a tremendous influence and impact as a coach here. I’m happy for those guys.”
McVay has always encouraged his assistant coaches to move up in their careers. His top assistants typically leave the Rams with a deep understanding of how to handle the many aspects of running an NFL team.
