In just his second season at the helm of the Los Angeles Rams, coaching wunderkind Sean McVay has drawn praise aplenty for how quickly he's taken the franchise from the doldrums of a 4-12 season in 2016 to the doorstep of a Super Bowl championship.
In the hopes of leading the Rams to the Super Bowl, he'll have to match wits with arguably the greatest NFL coach of all-time -- Bill Belichick.
And it just so happens that the two have gotten to know each other reasonably well.
"This season, he has basically texted me after every one of our games," McVay told Peter King via NBC Sports. "After we beat Minnesota in September, he texted, 'Man, you guys are really explosive and impressive and fun to watch. Congratulations--keep it rolling.' For him to even take the time to say congrats, it's pretty cool. That's one of the things I like about our business, our fraternity of coaches. As competitive as it is, guys find time to share when they can. I'm still young, still figuring it out. That stuff's been really helpful to me."
It's a safe assumption that Belichick, 66, isn't hopeful of congratulating McVay, 32, this coming Sunday when the Rams and Patriots toe the line in Atlanta at Super Bowl LIII.
Still, anytime new light shines on the guarded personality of Belichick it's enlightening, especially considering the Patriots' legendary sideline skipper will now face off with a coach more than twice his junior.
"I got a chance to meet him last year and really, I think, there was a lot made of the text but it was more me really saying I appreciated the way he's treated me," McVay said during Super Bowl LIII Opening Night. "For him to even take the time to text me after a game, it means a lot because of the respect I have for him. He's been doing it at such a high level for so long, it means a lot and you respect your peers and he's somebody I have a lot of respect for.
"It meant a lot because our players did such a great job playing in that Thursday night game, getting a big win early on in the season and for him to even take the time to say 'hey, great job, congratulations on the win' with all the things he's got going on, it means a lot. That's really what it was, but to be able to even just have that rapport and the way that he's treated me and the little bit of dynamic and interaction we've had, it means a lot."
As the story goes, McVay is currently listening to a book on tape, Mike Lombardi's Gridiron Genius, which focuses on Belichick somewhat and is all the more appealing after the two began to get to know each other at last year's NFL combine.
"It's focused on Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick -- Mike worked for both of them. It's got a lot of great stuff. I've read all Bill Walsh's books just based on my grandfather's history and so much of what we do stems from a lot of the things that they did. But now I've gotten to know Bill [Belichick] -- we talked at the combine last year -- so that's been cool," McVay said. "He was really great in the conversation we had, really enlightening. This is wild."
And now, the next chapter will be written for Belichick and McVay at the Super Bowl.
