The Rams' decision to hire a young Sean McVay as their head coach in 2017 was met with skepticism, to say the least. McVay had built his reputation working with Kirk Cousins under coach Jay Gruden in three seasons as Washington's offensive coordinator, but given his age and lack of experience, the move was a gamble for a franchise that hadn't reached the playoffs in 12 years.
It's fair to say the hire has been a success. McVay was an instant hit, leading a massive turnaround to take the Rams to the playoffs in year one and the Super Bowl in year two. By year five, he guided the franchise to its first championship in more than two decades.
Even as he finishes up his eighth season on the Rams' sideline, McVay remains one of the NFL's youngest coaches.
Here's what you need to know about McVay's age when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 and where he ranks among the youngest coaches today.
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Sean McVay age when hired by Rams
The Rams hired at McVay at just 30 years old, making him the youngest modern-era head coach in NFL history.
McVay turned 31 less than two weeks after he was hired, so he didn't coach in a game at 30, but he still was shockingly young -- so young that one of his own players, Andrew Whitworth, was four years older than him.
For exactly seven years, McVay remained the NFL's youngest active head coach. That changed in 2023, when the Seahawks named Mike Macdonald the successor to Pete Carroll. He is the lone 37-year-old still in the NFL.
McVay's success in Los Angeles led to a string of young offensive minds landing head coaching gigs, and his proof that youth wasn't an obstacle to leading an NFL locker room certainly helped open the door for a few coaches.
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Youngest NFL head coaches
Macdonald might be the NFL's youngest active head coach, but he didn't come close to touching McVay's record. Eight head coaches have been hired at age 32 or younger in the modern era:
| Coach | Age | Team | Year hired |
| Sean McVay | 30 | Rams | 2017 |
| Lane Kiffin | 31 | Raiders | 2007 |
| Harland Svare | 31 | Rams | 1962 |
| John Michelosen | 32 | Steelers | 1948 |
| Raheem Morris | 32 | Buccaneers | 2009 |
| David Shula | 32 | Bengals | 1992 |
| Josh McDaniels | 32 | Broncos | 2009 |
| John Madden | 32 | Raiders | 1969 |
McVay still ranks near the top when it comes to the youngest active head coaches. He's one of five coaches under the age of 40, joined by Macdonald, Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell, Indianapolis' Shane Steichen, and Houston's DeMeco Ryans.
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As more teams continue to search for their next head coach, that group could certainly expand. Here are the youngest active head coaches:
| Coach | Age | Team | Year hired |
| Mike Macdonald | 37 | Seahawks | 2024 |
| Sean McVay | 38 | Rams | 2017 |
| Kevin O'Connell | 39 | Vikings | 2022 |
| Shane Steichen | 39 | Colts | 2023 |
| DeMeco Ryans | 39 | Texans | 2023 |
| Zac Taylor | 40 | Bengals | 2019 |
| Mike McDaniel | 40 | Dolphins | 2022 |
| Jonathan Gannon | 41 | Cardinals | 2023 |