Looking for the next McVay
In the aftermath of the Cleveland Browns’ firing of coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley, members of McVay’s staff have been mentioned as possible candidates to fill the vacancies.
Quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor and passing game coordinator Shane Waldron are regarded as hot prospects.
Both are “great communicators, great teachers, great leaders,” McVay said.
“Would I be upset if we lost them? Would I be very stressed out?” he said. “The answer is yes, I would.”
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told Cleveland reporters during a news conference that the team had not yet considered who it might hire for a team that features quarterback Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft.
“We really have not focused on that,” Haslam said. “We are focused on making these changes and putting the team in the best position to winning the last eight games.”
Because of McVay’s success with quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams’ model of matching a young offense-minded coach with a young quarterback could become an NFL trend.
The Chicago Bears attempted to duplicate the Rams’ formula by hiring Matt Nagy for a team with quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
After last season, the Tennessee Titans interviewed Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to become their head coach. They ultimately hired him to call plays as offensive coordinator, responsibilities he did not have under McVay.
The Oakland Raiders hired veteran Rams quarterbacks coach Greg Olson as offensive coordinator.
The Browns are not expected to hire a coach until after the college or NFL regular seasons. Chatter about Taylor and Waldron will not be a distraction, McVay said.
“These guys have the right mind-set,” he said, adding, “They'll continue to work exactly like they have, doing an excellent job coaching and being the best Rams coaches they can be.
“Down the line, I think they know that if you want to continue to be in those conversations, if that's something that they have goals to be able to try to achieve, then we've got to continue to have success as a team.”
McVay, who is expected to receive an extension from the Rams after this season, also addressed speculation caused by an oddsmaker’s internet post that he might be a candidate to coach the Browns.
“I couldn’t be happier to be here with our players, with this organization, working for a great owner in Mr. [Stan] Kroenke,” McVay said. “Unless they decide they want to make a change I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-20181029-story.html