Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is taking a year off after being fired late in last year’s hiring cycle, but hopes to return to the sidelines soon.
McDermott has been spending time with some fellow NFL coaches this offseason, revealing in an interview that he wants to rejoin the head coaching ranks soon. The Bills head coach is seen as a top potential candidate for next year’s job openings, and McDermott made it clear that he wants to jump back in soon.
Sean McDermott Looking for Another Head Coaching Job
In an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, McDermott revealed that he isn’t looking for a job as an assistant coach or defensive coordinator.
“Look, I want to coach again,” McDermott said. “I want to be a head coach in the NFL. I’ve got this burning desire in my heart to win a world championship and to take that to an organization and a fanbase. So, I owe that to myself but I also owe that to the next organization that I work for because I want to build on the success that we had in Buffalo.”
McDermott remained busy this offseason, spending time with the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears at their offseason practices and training camp. The appearance with the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson sparked some speculation that he could join the staff in a defensive capacity, but McDermott’s latest remarks make it clear that he’s holding out for another head coaching job.
McDermott was abruptly fired by Bills owner Terry Pegula after the team’s bitter playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. Pegula said he saw quarterback Josh Allen’s despondent reaction and worried that the team might never get over the hump with McDermott as head coach.
Because it was late January when McDermott was fired, most of the job openings had already been filled, and he instead committed to a one-year sabbatical to study coaching philosophies while preparing for a return.
Sean McDermott Still Rooting for the Bills
McDermott did not appear to harbor any ill will toward the Bills, predicting in this week’s interview that they would reach the Super Bowl.
The former Bills head coach said earlier this summer that he’s rooting for new coach Joe Brady, who served as his offensive coordinator.
“I think Joe is going to do a great job,” McDermott said in August on the “Jim Rome Show.” “You know he was with us for four seasons on my staff. He had a chance to watch, learn, and grow. Joe came to us from a situation in Carolina. He is a College of William & Mary grad. I’m a William & Mary grad, and the information I got on Joe was that he was a hard worker and really smart, and those are two great qualities, as well as being a good person, so we snagged Joe up, and it was to our benefit. Joe is a heck of a coach, and I think he is going to do a great job.”
Ex-Bills HC Sean McDermott Reveals Plans for Next NFL Job