Les Snead details how snowstorm affected Kyle Shanahan's Rams' HC job - "Changed the course of the NFC West"
Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead has detailed how Kyle Shanahan could now be sitting in the hot seat as the head coach of the franchise. However, he detailed that when they were running interviews for the open position, a meteorological challenge kiboshed the idea.
The Rams' executive team had headed to New England in trying to search a new coach. It was there interviewing Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels. It was then supposed to fly into Atlanta, who were then doing well in the playoffs, to speak with Kyle Shanahan.
What happened instead is that a snowstorm rolled in and grounded the plane. As Les Snead recounted:
"Unfortunately, we could never interview Kyle... Then there was a snowstorm in [the] New England area. And at that point, they [Atlanta Falcons] were rolling in the playoffs... We couldn't get there."
Les Snead further went on to say that he was so high up on their list that they wanted to interview Shanahan in some way and even offered to conduct it on FaceTime. However, the coach did not feel it was the right medium and the whole thing was shelved. They later had an interview scheduled with Sean McVay and found the right candidate there. Snead said:
"We did ask Kyle, 'Hey, would you like to FaceTime?' He really didn't want to do that. So at that point in time, we passed on the interview. That weather event and whatever occurred because of it, it definitely changed the course of the NFC West. We hired Sean McVay. San Francisco hired Kyle Shanahan."
Should Les Snead regret hiring Sean McVay instead of Kyle Shanahan?
As good as Kyle Shanahan has been with the 49ers, it is hard to say that Sean McVay has not been equally good or better with the Rams. Los Angeles' 5-12 season last time around definitely was not the best showing.
But over the course of six seasons, each has coached 98 games. Shanahan has won 52 and lost 46 for a 0.531 win rate. McVay has won 60 and lost 38 in the same span, for a 0.612 win rate.
The Rams have reached the playoffs four times in that duration. The 49ers have made it to the postseason thrice. Los Angeles has become the NFC Champions twice, whereas San Francisco has only done it once. And most importantly, Sean McVay has won the elusive Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
Kyle Shanahan has yet to win it, but given his ability to build the team from where it was, one would not put it past him to correct that record soon.