A lot of people scratched their heads when the Rams went young and hired Sean McVay as their coach.

McVay was a dozen days short of his 31st birthday, making him the youngest coach in the modern era of the NFL, which apparently is loosely defined as since the leather helmet years.

It was easy to dismiss this as just another in a series of give-me-a-break decisions leading to an active run of 12 seasons without a winning record.

What prompted Rams president Kevin Demoff and general manager Les Snead to put their trust in a child?

South Bay Athletic Club members, a take-no-prisoners group of veteran observers, had an opportunity to hear for themselves in June when McVay and Snead visited the luncheon group in Redondo Beach.

In about four minutes, speaking off the cuff in his rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness manner, McVay wowed his audience, no doubt just as he captured Demoff and Snead.

“Real quick, before we open it up for questions, I wanted to just talk about some of the core things and beliefs that we want to operate with,” he said.

That’s real quick, as when wide receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins jitterbug to avoid press coverage and then get open to catch a Jared Goff pass.

Real quick is, as noted, how McVay speaks.

Real quick also is how his 2-1 team has made a positive impression early in this NFL season, distancing itself from memories of the 0-7 finish last year.

One of the things you notice about McVay is it is we-we-we, not I-I-I.

You see none of the insecurities of Lane Kiffin when he became the 31-year-old coach of the Raiders, courtesy of a take-leave-of-senses Al Davis decision after Steve Sarkisian rejected an offer to coach in Oakland.

“It starts with a process, and what we say our process is,” McVay said.

He can go on and on and on about process. And he did. What he says can be called clichés. But not dismissed. He brings a focus, intensity and belief former USC players will tell you they heard in 2001 when Pete Carroll became a Trojan.

This is a young man with an old football soul by virtue of his family tree. His father, Tim, played at Indiana. His grandfather, John, was the front office architect of five 49ers Super Bowl champions.

He is comfortable enough in his own skin to hire 70-year-old Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator and joke about the Hail Mary gap in their ages.

“He has more twitter swag than I do,” McVay told the SBAC. “He tweets that the Rams are the only staff in the league that have a defensive coordinator that needs Medicare and a head coach that needs day care.”

Talking about his approach to football, he said, “We got this from Coach (Bill) Walsh. He said, ‘If you always focus on the process instead of the results eventually the score will take care of itself.’ That’s what we want to make sure, that we’re always focusing on our process.

“And the next thing we talk about is our standard of performance. Our pursuit of excellence is non-stop, and it applies to everything that we do.”

He speaks of John Wooden, former 49er coaches Walsh and George Seifert, Mike and Kyle Shanahan and others.

“I feel very blessed,” he said. “You’re never going to have opportunities like this unless you’re around great teachers and mentors and coaches who are willing to invest in you.”

He knows about Wooden’s remarkable 10 NCAA basketball championships in 12 years. It is a wise young coach who studies the legendary UCLA coach.

“He is the epitome of what it looks like when it is right,” McVay said. “It’s being part of something bigger than yourself and having the shared success that is sustainable over time.

“It’s going to lead to good things and, hopefully, I’ll be able to come back here 10 years from now and not get booed off the stage and you’ll say, ‘I still like this guy.’”

He is beguiling without guile.

“This is great group of guys and a boat load of personality,” he said in closing his opening remarks. “So I’m having a good time.”

The SBAC members returned the compliment. They were having a good time with Sean McVay, as are the Rams.

Clearing out the mini-notebook

Self-scouting report >> Chargers QB Philip Rivers sparked Kansas City’s 24-10 win Sunday at StubHub Center by throwing three interceptions to the Chiefs. His no-frills response: “I’ve got to play better.” …

Quoting >> After making it clear everyone on the team needs to play and coach better, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said, “A quarterback is allowed to have a couple of bad throws or bad plays.” …

Numbers game >> Undefeated USC QB Sam Darnold’s seven interceptions put him on a pace to bottom the Trojan season record of 18 co-owned by Rob Hertel (1977) and Carson Palmer (2000). …

Bottom line >> Lots of KC fans at StubHub. Win a couple of games, Chargers, and season ticket holders will not be in a hurry to sell their tickets.

mwsptcol@aol.com