May 28, 2025 — ESPN Newsroom
In a move that has stunned the college basketball and football communities alike, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has rejected two blockbuster $7.5 million-per-year offers from powerhouse college programs Georgia and Notre Dame. The offers, extended in hopes of luring McVay away from the NFL and into the college basketball spotlight, were seen as unprecedented — not only because of the money, but because of who they were targeting.
Rumors had been swirling for weeks that both schools were aiming to make dramatic shifts in their athletic departments, reportedly eyeing McVay for a transformative leadership role — not necessarily as a traditional head basketball coach, but potentially as a “program architect” who could overhaul their culture, branding, and recruitment systems. Still, the idea of an NFL Super Bowl-winning coach pivoting to college basketball left many scratching their heads.
McVay, 39, finally broke his silence in a press conference Tuesday morning, putting to rest all speculation.
> “I have no plans beyond Los Angeles,” McVay stated firmly, brushing aside persistent questions about his future. “I respect what Georgia and Notre Dame are building, but my loyalty is here. The Rams are my team. We have unfinished business.”
The bold statement reaffirms McVay’s commitment to the Rams amid a period of aggressive rebuilding following a challenging 2024 season. Team insiders suggest McVay is more invested than ever, having recently taken on expanded responsibilities in roster development and coaching infrastructure.
Still, the nature of the college offers raises eyebrows.
Sources close to both Georgia and Notre Dame confirm that McVay was offered $7.5 million annually — an eye-popping figure that would place him among the highest-paid coaches in college sports history. But it wasn’t just about the money. Both schools reportedly pitched McVay on the opportunity to revolutionize their athletic identity and serve as a unifying figure across football and basketball programs, creating a new hybrid model of leadership.
“Georgia was envisioning McVay as a Nick Saban-type figure for their entire athletic department,” one source close to the negotiations said. “They wanted him to set the tone — not just win games.”
Notre Dame’s offer, insiders claim, included unprecedented control over staff hires, media branding, and even NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) strategies. The hope was that McVay’s NFL pedigree and media-savvy presence would elevate Notre Dame into a new era of dominance.
Instead, McVay has chosen to double down in Los Angeles.
Whether his decision will spark similar bold recruiting moves by college programs remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Sean McVay isn’t ready to trade the bright lights of the NFL for the chaos of college courts — at least not yet.
> “I’m building something real here,” he said. “And I’m not done.”
As the Rams gear up for a pivotal 2025 season, McVay’s refusal to be swayed — even by generational money — sends a powerful message: loyalty, it seems, still matters in the modern game.
