Sean McVay is about to make NFL coaching history. Remarkably, in just eight seasons as Los Angeles Rams head coach, McVay will face his third former assistant in a playoff matchup on Monday.
The Rams will face the Minnesota Vikings. Their head coach is Kevin O’Connell, who won a Super Bowl as the Rams offensive coordinator and is the odds-on favorite to earn the NFL Coach of the Year award.
Sean McVay’s Incredible Coaching Legacy

According to the Voice of the Los Angeles Rams, JB Long, NFL Research could not confirm a precedent for this occurrence dating back to 1960, highlighting the unique nature of McVay’s coaching tree.
He first coached against a former assistant in the playoffs in 2020, when he faced Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round. The Packers won that game 32-18. LaFleur worked as the Rams offensive coordinator in 2017, just two seasons before taking the reigns in Green Bay.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings Preview
The next occurrence was against Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, resulting in a 23-20 LA win. Taylor was McVay’s assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 and quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was hired by the Bengals the day after the Rams’ Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots.
McVay has a chance to face his fourth former assistant, Raheem Morris who is head coach of the Atlanta Falcon as soon as next season. The Falcons narrowly missed the playoffs after going 8-9 in the NFC South.
McVay’s coaching tree has demonstrated remarkable growth and success within a relatively short timeframe. In just eight seasons as a head coach, he has guided the Rams to the playoffs six times, and his former assistants now hold prominent positions across the league, leading to the unprecedented scenario of multiple playoff matchups against his former protégés.
McVay won the NFL Coach of the Year award as a rookie head coach in 2017. In six seasons McVay has coached in 11 playoff games. Those games include two Super Bowl appearances.