Sean McVay came frighteningly close to walking away from NFL coaching after the Los Angeles Rams cratered to a 5-12 record in 2022, just one season after their Super Bowl win. On a recent appearance on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, McVay pulled back the curtain on how dark that period actually was, and what stopped him from making a decision he might never have recovered from professionally.
What did Sean McVay say about almost quitting coaching?
The Rams entered the 2022 season carrying massive expectations after winning Super Bowl LVI. Instead, injuries piled up, the offense stalled, and the team unraveled quickly. By the end of the season, Sean McVay was exhausted mentally and emotionally.During the podcast appearance, he did not try to soften how bad that stretch felt.“I almost quit coaching,” McVay said. “And you can use the narrative that I was gonna go to media or whatever. But the truth would have been, I was quitting. I couldn’t handle the losing. It was almost like a scarlet letter. I mean, there was moments … I was like counting down the days for that season to be over. Like, what a fraud.”ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.That honesty matters because NFL coaches rarely speak this openly about failure. Publicly, the league sells confidence and control. Behind closed doors, losing seasons often hit far harder than fans realize. McVay’s comments showed how quickly success can turn into pressure once expectations change.He admitted he even discussed stepping away with his wife, Veronika McVay, while weighing possible media opportunities.“I remember explaining the situation to my wife, Veronika,” he continued. “‘You know, maybe I’ll step away, it’s going to be a really tough upcoming season … here are my options.’ Had some media stuff, and if I had done that, I would have conveniently hidden behind that. I would have been quitting.”What ultimately changed his mind was not football strategy or outside pressure. It was a conversation at home.“She was like, ‘You know, that never really sounded like the leader you wanted to be.’ And I was like ‘boom,’” McVay said. “It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I also remember thinking to myself [that] the most important thing I’ve always wanted to do is be a father and be a husband, and I’ll never be able to look at my little boy when he grows up and goes through adversity and say, ‘Do as I say, not as I did.’ And that was when [I said] I’ll never be able to live with myself if I [do] this.”Sean McVay’s comments offered a rare look at the emotional weight that comes with coaching at the highest level. Winning a Super Bowl did not protect him from burnout. If anything, it raised the standard even higher.