Sean McVay Reveals How Staff Poaching Always Ruins His Vacations: “I’m Spending Too Much Time on My Phone”

Sean McVay has grown accustomed to losing top assistants every offseason. Even if it means his vacations never quite go as planned.

The latest domino fell when the Arizona Cardinals hired Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, leaving the Los Angeles Rams searching for yet another offensive coordinator. It’s a familiar position for McVay, whose coaching tree continues to expand across the league.

McVay said he anticipated the possibility of losing someone from his staff during this year’s hiring cycle, which allowed the Rams to prepare internally. Still, he emphasized that the team won’t rush the process.

“I did think that this was something that could occur, so we’ve got great candidates in-house,” McVay told reporters. “Based on the rules and what I think is the appropriate thing, are you going to do an extensive search to really dive into what’s going to be the best way to bring in new people that help us continue to build and grow toward where we want to go?”

While McVay plans to conduct a thorough search, the timing has once again overlapped with personal time, something he joked has become a yearly tradition.

“It never fails,” McVay said with a laugh. “Every time me and my wife go on vacation, somebody’s usually getting a head job, and then I’m spending too much time on my phone.”

LaFleur leaves behind one of the NFL’s most productive offenses. Under his guidance in 2025, the Rams led the league in both yards per game (394.5) and points per game (30.5), establishing themselves as one of football’s most explosive units.

McVay’s coaching tree is so expansive that former assistants regularly resurface across the league — sometimes even coming back to Los Angeles if things don’t work out elsewhere. This time, however, McVay will have to face one of his former lieutenants twice a year.

Raheem Morris, who served as the Rams’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023, joined the San Francisco 49ers this offseason as their new defensive coordinator after being let go as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Morris spent two seasons leading Atlanta before his departure, and now he lands squarely in McVay’s division.

McVay couldn’t resist poking a little fun at the situation.

“I wouldn’t have minded if it was in a different division,” McVay said Monday of Morris joining the 49ers.

McVay has firsthand experience with what a Morris-led defense can do to his offense. The last time the Rams faced Morris, his Falcons shut Los Angeles out in the first half of a 27–24 Week 17 loss earlier this season.

Between replacing a top offensive coordinator and preparing to face a former defensive architect twice a year, McVay’s influence around the league continues to create new challenges, even if it also means fewer unplugged vacations.