Irvine, Calif.

Sean McVay has heard all of the jokes.

They usually go something like this: even McVay’s local barista was offered a head-coaching gig this off-season because NFL teams were so desperate to hire somebody associated—anybody—associated with the 33-year-old Los Angeles Rams coach.

The gags are not too far from the truth. The Bengals hired Zac Taylor, his quarterbacks coach last season. The Packers hired Matt LaFleur, his offensive coordinator from the year before. The punchline was hammered home when the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury and made sure to note that he and McVay are “friends.”

“It’s been an awesome reflection of the success that we’ve had,” McVay says.