Sean McVay Continues The Trend of Second-Year Coaches Making the Super Bowl

by Chase Stuart on January 30, 2019

You’ve probably heard more about Sean McVay over the last two seasons than you ever expected. But here’s one thing about McVay that is entirely ordinary: he’s a 2nd-year coach taking his team to the Super Bowl. In fact, this is the third straight year the Patriots have made the Super Bowl and are facing a 2nd-year head coach, after facing the Eagles and Doug Pederson in 2017 and the Falcons and Dan Quinn in 2016. There have been 106 teams to make the Super Bowl, and 20 of them had second-year head coaches. That is the most common-year for a coach to make the Super Bowl:

Bill Belichick, meanwhile, is in his 19th year in Foxboro, and he joins Tom Landry as the longest-tenured coach to make a Super Bowl.

The table below shows the head coaches of the 106 Super Bowl teams, and how many years they were with that franchise when they made the Super Bowl:

Coach	Year	Team	Yrs with Tm
Bill Belichick	2018	NWE	19
Sean McVay	2018	LAR	2
Bill Belichick	2017	NWE	18
Doug Pederson	2017	PHI	2
Bill Belichick	2016	NWE	17
Dan Quinn	2016	ATL	2
Ron Rivera	2015	CAR	5
Gary Kubiak	2015	DEN	1
Bill Belichick	2014	NWE	15
Pete Carroll	2014	SEA	5
Pete Carroll	2013	SEA	4
John Fox	2013	DEN	3
John Harbaugh	2012	BAL	5
Jim Harbaugh	2012	SFO	2
Bill Belichick	2011	NWE	12
Tom Coughlin	2011	NYG	8
Mike McCarthy	2010	GNB	5
Mike Tomlin	2010	PIT	4
Sean Payton	2009	NOR	4
Jim Caldwell	2009	IND	1
Ken Whisenhunt	2008	ARI	2
Mike Tomlin	2008	PIT	2
Bill Belichick	2007	NWE	8
Tom Coughlin	2007	NYG	4
Tony Dungy	2006	IND	5
Lovie Smith	2006	CHI	3
Bill Cowher	2005	PIT	14
Mike Holmgren	2005	SEA	7
Andy Reid	2004	PHI	6
Bill Belichick	2004	NWE	5
Bill Belichick	2003	NWE	4
John Fox	2003	CAR	2
Bill Callahan	2002	OAK	1
Jon Gruden	2002	TAM	1
Bill Belichick	2001	NWE	2
Mike Martz	2001	STL	2
Jim Fassel	2000	NYG	4
Brian Billick	2000	BAL	2
Jeff Fisher	1999	TEN	6
Dick Vermeil	1999	STL	3
Mike Shanahan	1998	DEN	4
Dan Reeves	1998	ATL	2
Mike Holmgren	1997	GNB	6
Mike Shanahan	1997	DEN	3
Mike Holmgren	1996	GNB	5
Bill Parcells	1996	NWE	4
Bill Cowher	1995	PIT	4
Barry Switzer	1995	DAL	2
George Seifert	1994	SFO	6
Bobby Ross	1994	SDG	3
Marv Levy	1993	BUF	8
Jimmy Johnson	1993	DAL	5
Marv Levy	1992	BUF	7
Jimmy Johnson	1992	DAL	4
Joe Gibbs	1991	WAS	11
Marv Levy	1991	BUF	6
Bill Parcells	1990	NYG	8
Marv Levy	1990	BUF	5
Dan Reeves	1989	DEN	9
George Seifert	1989	SFO	1
Bill Walsh	1988	SFO	10
Sam Wyche	1988	CIN	5
Dan Reeves	1987	DEN	7
Joe Gibbs	1987	WAS	7
Dan Reeves	1986	DEN	6
Bill Parcells	1986	NYG	4
Mike Ditka	1985	CHI	4
Raymond Berry	1985	NWE	2
Don Shula	1984	MIA	15
Bill Walsh	1984	SFO	6
Tom Flores	1983	RAI	5
Joe Gibbs	1983	WAS	3
Don Shula	1982	MIA	13
Joe Gibbs	1982	WAS	2
Bill Walsh	1981	SFO	3
Forrest Gregg	1981	CIN	2
Dick Vermeil	1980	PHI	5
Tom Flores	1980	OAK	2
Chuck Noll	1979	PIT	11
Ray Malavasi	1979	RAM	2
Tom Landry	1978	DAL	19
Chuck Noll	1978	PIT	10
Tom Landry	1977	DAL	18
Red Miller	1977	DEN	1
Bud Grant	1976	MIN	10
John Madden	1976	OAK	8
Tom Landry	1975	DAL	16
Chuck Noll	1975	PIT	7
Bud Grant	1974	MIN	8
Chuck Noll	1974	PIT	6
Bud Grant	1973	MIN	7
Don Shula	1973	MIA	4
Don Shula	1972	MIA	3
George Allen	1972	WAS	2
Tom Landry	1971	DAL	12
Don Shula	1971	MIA	2
Tom Landry	1970	DAL	11
Don McCafferty	1970	BAL	1
Hank Stram	1969	KAN	10
Bud Grant	1969	MIN	3
Don Shula	1968	BAL	6
Weeb Ewbank	1968	NYJ	6
Vince Lombardi	1967	GNB	9
John Rauch	1967	OAK	2
Vince Lombardi	1966	GNB	8
Hank Stram	1966	KAN	7

As for next year, Matt Nagy would be the overwhelming favorite to join this list among second-year coaches, with Frank Reich and Mike Vrabel also coming off winning seasons in their first years as head coaches.

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