John McVay
John Edward McVay (born January 5, 1931) is a former American football coach who rose through the coaching ranks from high school, through the college level, and to the National Football League (NFL). Born in Bellaire, Ohio, he played college football at Miami University, starring as a center.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1931 Bellaire, Ohio |
| Playing career | |
| 1950–1952 | Miami (OH) |
| Position(s) | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1955 | Lancaster HS (OH) (assistant) |
| 1956 | Franklin HS (OH) |
| 1957–1961 | Central Catholic HS (OH) |
| 1962–1964 | Michigan State (assistant) |
| 1965–1972 | Dayton |
| 1974–1975 | Memphis Southmen |
| 1976–1978 | New York Giants |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1972–1973 | Dayton |
| 1974–1975 | Memphis Southmen (GM) |
| 1976 | New York Giants (DRD) |
| 1980–1994 | San Francisco 49ers (VP) |
| 1995 | San Francisco 49ers (SA) |
| 1998–1999 | San Francisco 49ers (GM) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 41–7–2 (high school) 37–41–4 (college) 24–7 (WFL) 14–23 (NFL) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| First-team All-MAC (1952) NFL Executive of the Year (1989)
| |
Biography
Born January 5, 1931 in Bellaire Ohio. McVay later moved to Massillon, Ohio where he played high school football for Massillon Washington High School and was named 2nd team All-Ohio. McVay attended college and played football at Miami University. He later married and had three boys, John McVay, Jim McVay, and Tim McVay. His grandson, Sean McVay, son of Tim, is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.
McVay coached at several Ohio high schools, Michigan State University as an assistant coach and then head coach at the University of Dayton.
Coaching
McVay became the head coach of the World Football League Memphis Southmen in 1974, the WFL's first season. His record at Memphis was 24-7. The league folded in 1975.[1] In 1976, he went to the NFL New York Giants as an assistant coach and replaced fellow Miami alumnus Bill Arnsparger as the head coach when Arnsparger was fired at mid-season. From 1976 to 1978, McVay struggled with a franchise in transition. His first NFL season included a roster with three rookie quarterbacks. His contract with the Giants was not renewed after the 1978 NFL season, most likely as the result of a famous loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 19, 1978.[2]
Front Office
McVay moved on to an administrative position with the San Francisco 49ers in 1980.[3] He collaborated with head coach Bill Walsh in one of the most successful dynasties in NFL history. As vice president/director of football operations, he presided over five Super Bowl-winning seasons. He was named NFL Executive of the Year in 1989.[4] He retired from the 49ers in 1996. But when the franchise was transferred from Eddie DeBartolo Jr. to his sister, Denise, the York family wanted a steady hand like McVay's in the front office during the transition. McVay agreed to come back in 1998 and stayed for five more years.
Personal life
McVay's grandson, Sean, at the age of 30, became the youngest head coach in NFL history after he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams in 2017.[5]
Head coaching record
References
- "WFLSouthmanCsonka1". Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- Monkovic, Toni (January 24, 2007). "Giants-Broncos, Super Bowl XXI". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article211475774.html
- "NFL Executive of the Year - List of Winner By Year". packersmix.com. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- Simmons, Myles. "Three Things to Know about Rams HC Sean McVay". therams.com. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- "John McVay Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.