Have you ever heard of the Sean McVay effect? After he was hired as the youngest head coach in the NFL since 1938, at only 30 years old in 2017, he completely turned the Los Angeles Rams around in his very first year with them. Under McVay, the Rams were the first team ever to go from last place to first in total offense. As a result of his achievements, head coach hires started becoming younger, more offense oriented. That’s a pretty significant impact to have across the whole league.

It helps that he comes from a football family who’ve supported him from a young age. His dad, Tim McVay, used to play defensive back for Indiana University back in the day. That happens to be where he met Sean’s mother, Cindy, in the mid 70s. They would end up getting married in Evansville, Indiana, a few years later.

They’ve both been fantastically supportive of Sean McVay in the years since. Tim McVay worked as the VP of Channel 2 WSB-TV in Atlanta until he retired in 2017, the same year the Rams took Sean on as head coach. Since his retirement, the family’s been able to attend more games and see their son’s boys in action. “We’re just delighted to be able to be there for him, I was able to retire a year ago, so got to see a lot more games — which has been awful fun for us this year,” the proud father said in a heartwarming interview in 2018, when the Rams played the Super Bown in Atlanta, meaning the McVays didn’t have to travel at all.

Tim and Sean McVay both have in common the fact that they’re team men. Both focus on cooperation as a means of achieving a shared goal. This has been the leadership style that has let both men lead their teams to success in their respective fields. His mother Cindy was less present on the football field, but has always been encouraging of him in his pursuits, though she was at least on one occasion scandalized by her son’s foul language on the field – something he later had to apologize to her for. But that’s not all there is to the McVay family!

Who was John McVay?

John McVay was Sean’s grandfather, who sadly passed away in 2022. He’s the man who started the culture of football in the McVay family in the first place. An Ohio native, he played as a center for the Miami University (in Ohio) football team in 1950-52. This is the very same Miami University where Sean McVay would later play as a wide receiver in 2005-07.

John McVay was also head coach for the New York Giants from 1976 to 78, though not very successful. He’s better remembered for his time as Vice President and director of football operations with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s, during a very successful period for them that saw them with the Super Bowl 5 times. Sean McVay has gone on record acknowledging his grandfather’s legacy. Sean might not have made it as far in the football world without his grandfather’s insights. Speaking on whether his grandfather directly influenced his style, Sean only said, “He doesn’t push advice on you, but boy does he have a wealth of advice to deliver.”

If you’re keen on learning more about other movers and shakers in the NFL this season, be sure to check out our Think Tank Exclusive with Doug Sanders.