Sean McVay on DC Raheem Morris: It's a 'crime' he's not a head coach
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is happy that his defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is going to be coaching with him for the 2022 season. However, he might have been just as happy to see Morris secure a head coaching job with another team, because McVay thinks he deserves it.
In fact, McVay might even be frustrated that one of the most talented coaches in the game can't get a shot at a head coaching job.
"It's a reflection of how far we have to go, because he's one of the best coaches in the world, and the fact that he isn't a head coach is a crime," McVay said Tuesday via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
Sean McVay is thrilled DC Raheem Morris is still on the Rams' staff for 2022, and yet: "it's a reflection of how far we have to go, because he's one of the best coaches in the world, and the fact that he isn't a head coach is a crime." pic.twitter.com/0IYuVedOB9
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) April 19, 2022
Morris came close to getting Vikings job
Morris, who spent three seasons as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach before being fired in 2011, got close to getting a head coaching job earlier in the offseason. He had two interviews with the Minnesota Vikings, who were looking to replace Mike Zimmer, the head coach they had just fired.
It seemed like a great fit, especially with the Rams winning the Super Bowl in February. The defense Morris engineered gave up just 75 points in four postseason games and sacked Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow a record-tying seven times in the Super Bowl. It appeared to be the perfect time for Morris to emerge from the shadows and run his own team.
But Morris didn't get the job. Instead it went to Rams colleague Kevin O'Connell, who was McVay's offensive coordinator. Morris is Black and O'Connell is white, and that exact dynamic — a qualified Black coach being passed over in favor of a white coach — has been repeated numerous times over the years
That's not to say that O'Connell didn't deserve the job. There are a lot of coordinators in the NFL who probably deserve a shot at being a head coach, and there are only so many openings every year. But Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit against the NFL puts these situations in a new and unflattering light.
As McVay said, Morris being passed over shows just how far the NFL has to go to achieve true equality in head coaching hires.
