Rams' Sean McVay Endorses Mentor Mike Shanahan For Hall Of Fame: 'No-Brainer!'

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay believes two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, whom he coached under, belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Today, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is widely seen as one of the best in the league for how much he has accomplished at such a young age.

Even coaches as accomplished as McVay have those they look up to, though, and for McVay, former NFL coach Mike Shanahan is chief among those people. Shanahan was one of the first coaches McVay worked with, as he coached under Shanahan with the Washington Commanders franchise from 2010 to 2013. 

Shanahan accomplished a lot in his NFL career as well, winning two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos in the late 90s and being an offensive innovator. However, the 70-year-old has not received an invite to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which McVay believes is a huge mistake.

“Incredible coach, incredible leader. The back-to-back Super Bowls speak for themselves,” McVay said, per Sports Illustrated. “But the influence he’s had on this game, whether it be with Kyle [Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers coach and Mike Shanahan's son] and all of us or others, he always just had such an eye for not only for developing players but also coaches. He definitely cemented his legacy, made a huge imprint on the history of this game with what he did, and I think more importantly the influence that he’s had on so many other people that’ll continue on.

“It seems like a no-brainer to me that this guy should be in. I sure am grateful for him and everything he’s done for me. The man, the leader, the communicator, the work capacity, the work ethic, the ability to see things in people that maybe they didn’t even see in themselves, whether it be players or coaches, that’s Mike Shanahan. Hopefully our guy gets in. He certainly deserves it.”

Mike Shanahan finished his coaching career with a record of 170-132. His best stretch came with the Broncos from 1995 to 2008, as he had just two losing seasons out of 14. He has not coached since Washington fired him in 2013, but rumors of a potential return did circulate as recently as 2019.

Even though it's been a decade since Mike Shanahan's last coached, his impact on the game is still being felt. Four current coaches once learned under him, including McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers and Mike McDaniel with the Miami Dolphins.

Despite his impressive resume, Mike Shanahan is still waiting on his gold jacket. Until that changes, McVay will keep campaigning for his longtime mentor.

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