New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick will likely retire as the winningest coach in NFL history. While Sean McVay is on an early pace to challenge for a spot in the NFL record books, the Los Angeles Rams’ coach won’t do it.
When Los Angeles hired McVay before the 2017 NFL it never imagined he would become one of the most successful coaches in his era. Across five seasons in Los Angeles, the Rams have reached the playoff four times with two NFC championships and one Lombardi Trophy.
It’s a level of success in an NFL coaching career that few can match. Belichick’s first five seasons as a head coach went poorly with the Cleveland Browns. He won his first Super Bowl as a head coach in his seventh season, coming in his second year with the Patriots.
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Belichick is just 29 wins shy of passing George Halas (318) on the all-time coaching list. If he wins 39 more games, the Patriots’ icon will pass Don Shula (328-156) for the all-time record for career wins by a head coach.
- Sean McVay record: 55-26, .679 winning percentage
McVay is on pace to make NFL history. Entering his age-36 season, the leader of the Rams boasts a stellar .679 win-loss percentage through his first five years. It compares right on par with Halas (.682) and is even better than Shula (.677) and Belichick (.670).
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There’s a clear path for McVay to pursue the all-time records. However, he’s made it quite clear that there is no interest in sticking around long enough to match or surpass the likes of Brady and Shula.
“If you said, ‘Do I have a desire to try to chase like Belichick or Don Shula in wins?’ — I really don’t”
Sean McVay on pursuing Bill Belichick’s all-time wins, via The Los Angeles Times
McVay has already thought about his future away from the NFL, talking to network executives about a future in broadcasting. Considering his personality and football knowledge, he would be the dream color commentator for any network and could command a massive salary.
For now, though, McVay is happy to keep competing for Super Bowls with the Rams. He does want to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he wants to go in with a different resume. He might not coach as long as some of the all-time greats, but equal success in a shorter window could punch his ticket to football immortality.