LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have made Sean McVay the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, and he appears to be getting some experienced help.
The Rams on Thursday hired McVay, who turns 31 on Jan. 24. Several hours later, ESPN.com reported the Rams have finalized a deal with 69-year-old Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, although the team declined to confirm it.
McVay has been the Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator since 2014. He will replace Jeff Fisher, who was fired 13 games into the Rams’ homecoming season in Los Angeles, and interim head coach John Fassel, who led the Rams to a 4-12 finish in their 13th consecutive non-winning season.
“The accomplishments and success that he has had in less than a decade in our league are impressive,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “We are confident in his vision to make this team a consistent winner and we will all continue to work together to achieve our ultimate goal, bringing a Rams Super Bowl championship to Los Angeles.”
McVay spent the past three seasons as Jay Gruden’s offensive coordinator with the Redskins. He has been an assistant since 2010 in Washington, where he worked with Gruden and Bill Callahan to build a prolific offense led by quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The Rams made the eye-catching move on the same day that the Chargers announced their relocation to Los Angeles to share the Rams’ $2.6 billion stadium. The Chargers are still without a coach, and the Rams grabbed some of their headlines by snagging one of the most interesting names on the coaching market.