What Teams Did Sean McDermott Coach?

A defensive genius, Sean McDermott made his way through NFL coaching ranks before eventually assuming head coaching duties. McDermott first became a member of the coaching ranks with the Philadelphia Eagles all the way back in 1999. While his first was as a scouting coordinator, his duties saw a major increase in 2001 under Andy Reid. Immediately thrust into the assistant to head coach role, McDermott learned under one of the game’s best. Just two years in, he became assistant defensive backs coach. In his first season with the new responsibility, 2004, both starting safeties earned a Pro Bowl, marking the first such instance in Eagles history. After that, he would take on many more responsibilities with Philadelphia including a return to secondary coach and also a stint as the Linebackers coach. However, the declining health of Jim Johnson led McDermott to assume defensive coordinator responsibilities.

In 2011, McDermott joined the Carolina Panthers, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers as their Defensive Coordinator. His 5-year run with Carolina was sensational, including a second-place finish as the Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 2015. From 2012 onwards, each year saw his team finish with a top-10 defense. In 2017, McDermott would finally snag the big one as he assumed head coaching responsibilities of the Buffalo Bills.

Sean McDermott's Teams Coached

Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2010):

Enjoying a nearly 12-year run with the Eagles, McDermott played a lot of roles for them, becoming a crucial part of their Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX. However, they would eventually lose to the New England Patriots. But his time with the Eagles is most essential for him learning the schemes of the late, great Jim Johnson, whose defensive coordinator responsibilities he took over in 2009.

Carolina Panthers (2011-2016):

During his six-year run with the Carolina Panthers, McDermott would establish himself as one of the best defensive minds in the game, leading the team to a top-10 finish in the last five years of that run. Further, he was also responsible for their appearance in Super Bowl 50 where the team would give up just one offensive touchdown despite losing the game 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.

Buffalo Bills (2017-Present):

Since taking over McDermott has been a major reason for the resurgence of the Buffalo Bills as a premier franchise in the NFL. After successive unsuccessful decades in the 2000s and 2010s, McDermott was responsible for leading the team to their first playoff appearance since 1999 in his debut season. In 2020 he would help the team clinch their first division title and their first playoff victory in twenty-five years. His biggest contribution has been his partnership with Josh Allen which has turned the youngster into one of the better quarterbacks in the entire association. Since 2020 he's been responsible for back-to-back division titles marking three straight years at the top of the AFC East for the Buffalo Bills. He was also responsible for leading the team to their first AFC championship game since 1993 during their inaugural division title victory. From 2020-2024, the Bills have secured five successive AFC East Division titles for the first time in the organization's history.

What is Sean McDermott's record as a head coach?

In his tenure with the Bills as a head coach, McDermott has regularly been among the division leaders, barring a dip in 2018. (via Pro Football Reference)