Sean McDermott

Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American football coach who is the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2001, serving as defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2010, and was later the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2016. Following his six seasons with the Panthers, which included a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 50, he was hired in 2017 as the Bills' head coach and assumed defensive coordinator duties in 2023. McDermott's head coaching tenure in Buffalo has seen improved fortunes for the franchise, which had been mostly unsuccessful during the 2000s and 2010s. In his first season, he led the Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999, ending the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports. During the 2020 season, McDermott helped the Bills clinch their division and win a playoff game for the first time since 1995, en route to their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 1993. He led the Bills to a consecutive division title the following season, the franchise's first since 1991. The Bills then clinched their third straight division title the year after, marking 3 straight years atop the AFC East. Early years Born in Omaha, Nebraska, McDermott grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. His family lived in West Chester and Paoli before settling in Lansdale when McDermott was in second grade. McDermott first attended North Penn High School before transferring to La Salle College High School, where he was named All-Southeastern Pennsylvania at defensive back in 1992 and graduated in 1993. He was also a national prep champion wrestler in 1992 and 1993. He received a bachelor's degree in finance while at the College of William and Mary, where he was an all-conference safety (1997). He was teammates with future Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who was a wide receiver and faced McDermott frequently. He also received Academic all-conference honors in 1996 and 1997 and NSCA Strength and Conditioning All-America accolades. Coaching career