Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan took over as head coaches in 2017 and have built two of the most competitive teams in the league. McVay delivered quick success. Shanahan’s path has been bumpier, but when it matters, his teams hit harder.
McVay’s strength is consistency. He’s had seven winning seasons in eight years. He’s made the playoffs six times, won a Super Bowl, and racked up an 80–52 regular season record. His playoff mark is 8–5.
The Los Angeles Rams almost always show up with a floor that’s high and a system that adapts to whatever talent is available. Even when the roster resets or the quarterback changes, McVay keeps the ship moving. Only 2022 stands out as a full-on collapse due to a crazy year for injuries.
Shanahan’s journey is harder to explain. He’s gone 70–62 in the regular season with four losing seasons. But when the postseason starts, he becomes one of the most dangerous coaches in football.
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He’s 8–4 in the playoffs, technically better than Sean McVay’s record. This is good for the highest playoff win percentage in NFL history for a coach without a championship. That’s the problem with him: when the lights are brightest, his teams always seem to crumble.
To give him credit, however, he’s done that despite the fact that the 49ers seem to lose key players every single season. Quarterback injuries, offensive line gaps, and defensive holes have been the norm. Somehow, Shanahan still managed two Super Bowl appearances and three NFC title games in five years.
McVay wins the overall game. Shanahan owns the matchups. He’s 10–6 against McVay head-to-head. From 2019 to 2021, Shanahan swept six straight. McVay’s most important win came in the 2021 NFC Championship Game that launched the Rams’ Super Bowl run, but outside of that, Shanahan has been the problem McVay hasn’t solved.
Sean McVay’s Season-by-Season
2017: 11–5, playoffs
2018: 13–3, Super Bowl appearance
2019: 9–7, missed playoffs
2020: 10–6, divisional round
2021: 12–5, Super Bowl champion
2022: 5–12, missed playoffs
2023: 10–7, wild card loss
2024: 10–7, divisional round loss
Kyle Shanahan’s Season-by-Season
2017: 6–10, missed playoffs
2018: 4–12, missed playoffs
2019: 13–3, Super Bowl appearance
2020: 6–10, missed playoffs
2021: 10–7, NFC Championship loss
2022: 13–4, NFC Championship loss
2023: 12–5, Super Bowl loss
2024: 6–11, missed playoffs
McVay: 80–52 regular season (.606), 8–5 playoffs (.615), 1 Super Bowl
Shanahan: 70–62 regular season (.530), 8–4 playoffs (.667), 0 championships
Head-to-head: Shanahan leads 10–6
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Sean McVay wins a lot of football games. Kyle Shanahan beats Sean McVay. That’s the takeaway from the numbers.
McVay is the guy you want if you’re trying to build something that lasts. Shanahan is the guy you don’t want to face in January. One wins steadily. The other explodes when healthy. One has the ring. The other has the edge.
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