Sean McVay apparently no longer needs someone assigned to keep him from wandering onto the field during games.
The Los Angeles Rams head coach delivered a blunt response when asked whether he planned to have a “get-back coach” during the 2026 season.
“No. I’m not that much of a [expletive] anymore,” McVay said on August 17, per The Associated Press’ Greg Beacham.
Beacham added that McVay believes he has calmed down from his early years in Los Angeles, when former Rams strength coach Ted Rath regularly had to keep him from drifting too far onto the field.
The Rams hired McVay at 30 years old in January 2017, making him the youngest head coach in modern NFL history.
McVay’s ‘Get-Back Coach’ Became Part of Rams Lore
GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – AUGUST 15: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams speaks with head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs during pregame warmups prior to an NFL preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Rath’s game-day responsibility became one of the more entertaining side stories surrounding McVay’s early Rams teams.
Although his actual role with the organization was director of strength training and performance, Rath would shadow McVay along the sideline and physically steer him backward whenever the animated coach ventured too close to the playing field or officials.
Sports Illustrated detailed the comical arrangement before Super Bowl LIII, explaining that Rath was tasked with keeping McVay in the proper area and helping the Rams avoid a penalty because of their coach’s positioning. NFL Films also spotlighted the routine during the 2018 season.
Rath was unavailable for that Super Bowl after undergoing a medical procedure, leaving assistant strength and conditioning coach Dustin Woods to handle the assignment. McVay joked at the time that he hoped to show “a little bit more self-control” without Rath around.
Seven years down the line, McVay believes that self-control has arrived.
Rath ultimately left Los Angeles following the 2019 season.
The Philadelphia Eagles announced his hiring as director of sports performance in February 2020 after his three seasons with the Rams. He is now the director of sports performance for the New Orleans Saints, a position he has held since 2025.
McVay Has Come a Long Way From NFL’s Youngest Head Coach
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 06: Head Coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams looks on from the sidelines during the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Los Angeles Coliseum on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
McVay’s sideline intensity made sense alongside the persona that followed him into the NFL.
He arrived as a 30-year-old offensive wunderkind and quickly transformed the Rams into a contender.
Over his first nine seasons, McVay guided Los Angeles to seven playoff appearances and two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl LVI. He also became the winningest head coach in franchise history during the 2025 season.
In the end, the intensity hasn’t disappeared.
McVay remains one of the NFL’s more expressive coaches during games, and his August 17 answer showed that his personality has not been toned down much off the field either.
The difference, according to McVay, is that he can now keep himself behind the line en route to a deep playoff run or Super Bowl appearance.
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