(NewsNation Now) — They say age is just a number, and this year’s Super Bowl head coaching matchup is determined to prove that. The Rams’ Sean McVay, at 36, will take on the Bengals’ Zac Taylor, at 38.
Mike Tomlin, current head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, holds the NFL record for the youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl, at 36 years and 11 months old. McVay is just a bit younger, so the record would be his should his favored Rams win.
While they are the youngest pairing to square off in the Super Bowl, this isn’t the first time at the big game for either of them. McVay’s Rams made it in 2019 with Taylor as an assistant coach. They lost to the Patriots 14-3 in what is universally called one of the biggest snoozers of a big game in history.
This year’s game, with Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow working his magic for the Bengals while Aaron Donald leads a Rams defense determined to shut him down, should be a great deal more lively.
McVay and Taylor are the youngest pairing, which means they might someday challenge Bill Belichick, whose nine appearances in the big game put him far out atop the heap. Oh, and his six wins top the heap, as well.
Don Shula follows Belichick, with six appearances, and Tom Landry, the man responsible for the Dallas Cowboys being called “America’s Team,” with five.
With this year’s game, McVay will already have two Super Bowls to his credit. Whether or not he’ll get his first win to start chasing Belichick on that front, as well, remains to be seen.