The Buffalo Bills have fired head coach <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/coach/sean-mcdermott-135150/">Sean McDermott</a>, <a href="https://x.com/DMRussini/status/2013254864495690039">per The Athletic‘s Diana Russini</a>. This comes following their divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.



Sean McDermott had been the Bills’ head coach since 2017. That nine-year tenure saw McDermott take Buffalo to the playoffs eight times, winning the AFC East five times in a row, from 2020 to 2024. However, the Bills were also never able to make it to the Super Bowl during that time and in the 2025 season, the New England Patriots would win the AFC East. That came at a time when the team was looking for a way to get over the proverbial hump.



2018 was the rookie season for franchise quarterback <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/josh-allen-66773/">Josh Allen</a> and the second for Sean McDermott. Together, the pair had developed one of the most consistently successful teams in the entire NFL. However, without that ultimate success in the postseason, the Bills are now turning to a new coach to lead the team into the future.



In the end, McDermott will finish his tenure in Buffalo with a 98-50 record overall. He also went 8-8 in the playoffs. 



The Buffalo Bills have also <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/2013256711298023903">reportedly</a> made the decision to retain general manager Brandon Beane. He has been with the Bills since 2017, the same tenure that Sean McDermott has been there. With salary cap issues, there had been some thought that he could be on the move too. That’s not the case, though, and he’ll now lead their next coaching search.



A Pennsylvania native who would go on to attend William & Mary, where he played on the football team, McDermott began coaching for the Tribe in 1998. There, he was a graduate assistant. In 2001, he made the jump to the NFL, coaching for the Philadelphia Eagles under <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/andy-reid-132783/">Andy Reid</a>. There, he’d work his way up in several different roles, particularly on the defensive side of the football. By 2009, he’d become the team’s defensive coordinator. 



In 2011, McDermott joined the Carolina Panthers staff as a defensive coordinator under <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/ron-rivera-132954/">Ron Rivera</a>. He’d hold that job until the end of the 2016 season. That was when he landed in Buffalo with the Bills. 



There are several head coaching positions currently open around the NFL. Sean McDermott will now have the opportunity to interview for those positions if he chooses to immediately jump back into coaching. He will likely also be looked at as a possible defensive coordinator for teams making a change there. Meanwhile, the Bills now begin their search for their next head coach.

Sean McDermott

5GOATs

Report: Buffalo Bills fire head coach Sean McDermott

team image

Pro News

NFL News

NFL Draft News

NASCAR

NBA News

NBA Draft News

Culture

Sports Betting

About

Football

Basketball

Women's Basketball

Softball

Baseball

Alabama

Arizona State

Arizona

Arkansas

Auburn

Baylor

Boston College

California

Removed

Clemson

Colorado

Duke

Florida

Florida State

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Kentucky

Lettermen Row

Lettermen Lounge

Louisville

Maryland

Miami

Michigan State

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi State

Missouri

NC State

Nebraska

North Carolina

Northwestern

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Ole Miss

The Main Board

Oregon

Oregon State

Penn State

Pittsburgh

Purdue

Rutgers

South Carolina

Stanford

Syracuse

Tennessee

Texas A&M

Texas

Texas Tech

UCLA

Utah

Vanderbilt

Virginia

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest

Washington

Washington State

West Virginia

Wisconsin

BamaOnLine

BOL Round Table

Inside Texas

IT Members Only

DawgsHQ

Dawg Walk

Scoop Duck

Recruiting & Sports

AuburnSports

The Corner

WeAreSC

GarryP's Trojan Huddle

The Wolverine

The Fort

The Lions Den

The Wolfpacker

The Wolves’ Den

GatorsOnline

Swamp Talk

Alabama A&M

Alabama State

Albany

Alcorn State

Abilene Christian

Appalachian State

Akron

Army

Austin Peay

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Arkansas-Little Rock

Arkansas State

Air Force

Ball State

American

Wofford

Winthrop

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Wisconsin-Green Bay

Wichita State

Western Carolina

Volleyball

Gymnastics

Men's Lacrosse

Women's Lacrosse

Men's Soccer

Women's Soccer

Women's Track

Men's Golf

Women's Golf

Men's Hockey

Women's Hockey

Men's Swimming

Women's Swimming

Wrestling

Men's Tennis

Women's Tennis

Annual $1

Annual Premium

Annual $1 

Monthly

Annual

Unlimited Access to This and All Articles.

Article (On3 Plus Rivals)

Forum (On3 Plus Rivals)

Intro

Join

College scoop, experts, and community - all in one.

Winback

Transfers back to SEC

Jaden Rashada

Headed to the ACC

Damon Wilson

Next court date set

Sherrone Moore

Stories that will shape 2026

Looking ahead

Miami trending for QB, WR

Transfer Portal Intel