What is Sean McDermott's Net Worth and Salary?
Sean McDermott is a football coach who has a net worth of $20 million. Sean McDermott serves as the head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Previously, he held assistant coaching positions with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Carolina Panthers. McDermott has significantly turned around the fortunes of the Bills since becoming head coach in 2017, leading the team to three consecutive AFC East division titles from 2020 to 2022.
Salary
Sean McDermott's annual salary is $8 million. He is currently operating on a contract extension that will keep him with the Bills through 2027.
Early Life and Education
Sean McDermott was born on March 21, 1974 in Omaha, Nebraska and was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, he went to North Penn High School before transferring to La Salle College High School. At the latter school, McDermott was named All-Southeastern Pennsylvania as a defensive back on the football team in 1992. Additionally, he was a national prep champion wrestler in high school. McDermott went on to attend the College of William & Mary, where he was a safety on the Tribe football team. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in finance.
Assistant Coaching
In 1999, McDermott joined the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles as a scouting administrative coordinator, a position he held until he was promoted to the coaching staff in 2001. The year after that, he became the defensive quality control coach, and after that became assistant defensive backs coach. In 2005, the Eagles played in Super Bowl XXXIX, but lost to the New England Patriots. McDermott went on to serve as the defensive backs coach and then as the linebackers coach. In 2009, he was named the interim defensive coordinator while Jim Johnson was on medical leave; not long after that, due to the decline of Johnson, he was named the full-time defensive coordinator. McDermott continued in the role until early 2011, when he was fired by the Eagles after 12 years with the team.
A couple days after leaving the Eagles, McDermott was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. During his tenure with the team through 2016, he helped lead the Panthers to top-ten finishes in overall defense from 2012 to 2015. Moreover, in the 2015 season, he helped guide the team to Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. Although the Panthers defense gave up only one offensive touchdown in the game, the Broncos ended up winning 24-10.
First Years with the Buffalo Bills, 2017-2019
In early 2017, McDermott became the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He went on to win his NFL head coaching debut in the season opener, with a 21-12 victory over the New York Jets. Although he and the Bills recorded a loss in Week 2, they rebounded to win four of the next five games. Finishing the regular season with a 9-7 record, the team secured its first playoff appearance in 18 years, ending the longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports. Ultimately, the Bills fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. The next season was less remarkable, as the Bills posted a 6-10 record and missed the playoffs. McDermott turned things around in 2019 to lead the Bills to a 10-6 record and another appearance in the Wild Card Round, which they lost this time to the Houston Texans.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills, 2020-2022
McDermott had his greatest season yet with the Bills in 2020, leading the team to a 13-3 record and their first AFC East division title in 25 years. They went on to win their first playoff game in the same period of time with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round. The Bills continued their postseason success by defeating the Baltimore Ravens 17-3 to advance to their first AFC Championship Game in 27 years. In the game, the team fell to the Kansas City Chiefs.
McDermott led the Bills to another terrific season in 2021, posting an 11-6 record to clinch a second consecutive AFC East title. The postseason was especially memorable for the Bills' Divisional Round game against the Chiefs, in which quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes engaged in a high-scoring shootout that saw both throw for over 300 yards. In just the final two minutes of regulation, 25 points were scored, with the Chiefs ultimately winning 42-36.
McDermott and the Bills recorded yet another fantastic season in 2022, going 13-3 and claiming a third consecutive AFC East title. The team went on to defeat the Miami Dolphins by a score of 34-31 in the Wild Card Round. In the Divisional Round, the Bills lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, ending their season. For the 2023 season, McDermott took over play-calling duties on defense following the resignation of Leslie Frazier. Additionally, he extended his contract with the Bills through the 2027 season.
9/11 Comments
In late 2023, an article by journalist Tyler Dunne revealed criticisms from Bills players about McDermott. Of particular note was a comment he made during a team meeting in 2019 when he reportedly told his team that they needed to work together "like the terrorists on 9/11." The published comment drew widespread criticism across the media, with some questioning McDermott's leadership integrity and calling for his termination. When reached for a response, McDermott said that he regretted the comment and apologized to the team.
Personal Life
McDermott is married to his high school sweetheart Jamie, with whom he also attended college. Together, they have a son and a daughter and reside in Orchard Park, New York.
