The Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars face off this weekend. Ahead of the matchup, Raiders coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Jags coach Liam Coen comes from the coaching tree Carroll respects the most—that of the Los Angeles Rams’ leading man Sean McVay:
“He’s got all of the good stuff that’s going around the league,” Carroll said. “The tree that he comes from is really the one I respect the most, in terms of innovation and creativity and really good fundamental aspects of their offense. He’s representing all those guys. It’s a big offense, they do a lot of stuff. You can’t just zero in on this or that. They love to run the football, they’re willing to stay with it when they can, the play action is good, The perimeter stuff off the running game is there. And they really trust the quarterback. They have a lot of downfield routes and concepts.”
- Kevin O’Connell, Vikings
- Matt LaFleur, Packers
- Liam Coen, Jaguars
- Zac Taylor, Bengals
- Raheem Morris, Falcons
The McVay tree, including Sean himself, accounts for nearly one in five of the head coaches around the NFL.
Current coordinators from the McVay tree
- Wes Phillips, Vikings OC
- Zac Robinson, Falcons OC
- Ejiro Evero, Panthers DC
- Brandon Staley, Saints DC
- Nick Caley, Texans OC
This is an impressive list for someone who has been a head coach for less than a decade, and there has still been enough time for McVay acolytes to find jobs elsewhere and lose them—such as Thomas Brown’s stints with the Panthers and Bears and Shane Waldron with the Seahawks and Bears.
Who is the next branch on the tree?
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula should draw attention in coaching searches this spring. Shula has been molded by the three different coordinators he’s worked under during his time in Los Angeles: Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley, and Raheem Morris. Shula has overseen a youth movement and defensive turnaround for the Rams, and he’s one of McVay’s closest confidants.
There’s no reason that Matt LaFleur shouldn’t get a look, though when he went on his own to become the offensive coordinator for the Jets under Robert Saleh, he fell flat and couldn’t get Zach Wilson’s NFL career off the ground.
Other names to keep an eye on:
- Aubrey Pleasant – Rams’ current assistant head coaching and someone they’ve been grooming for a larger role
- Nate Scheelhaase – Interviewed for OC positions a year ago and will be on radar for 2026
- Alex Van Pelt – Was Patriots OC recently and is probably overqualified for his current role
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