Two days after announcing via social media they had hired their new head coach, the Buffalo Bills formally introduced Sean McDermott at One Bills Drive.
McDermott joins the Bills after spending the past six seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He also held assistant coaching roles for twelve seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has appeared in two Super Bowls, both losses, one with each of his former teams.
"We as a family look forward to being a part of this great city and its passionate fan base," McDermott said. "This is our type of town. We look forward to making Buffalo our home."
Bills co-owner Terry Pegula explained in his opening remarks that the franchise was looking for someone who could plan long-term while make short-term decisions. General Manager Doug Whaley, who led the coaching search and sat next to McDermott at the news conference, also spoke of what the Bills were looking for in a candidate.
"To win in this business, it's about two things. It's about players and winning," Whaley said. "With Coach McDermott, we know we have a guy that will maximize player development as well as consistently give our ball club a chance to win."
McDermott replaces Rex Ryan, who led the Bills for all but one game over the past two seasons (Anthony Lynn served as the interim coach for the final game of the 2016 National Football League regular season). When Ryan was introduced as a new head coach in January 2015, he vowed to get the team into the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season and sought to increase the team's toughness, wanting them to be "bullies" on the field. Those words backfired as the Bills remain in a 17-year playoff drought. The "bullies" often found themselves committing costly penalties along the way.
"I'm not into making promises," McDermott said. "I think you'll find that out about me soon enough. The promises I'll make are we're going to be competitive. We're going to compete every day."
He described himself as meticulous, one who pays attention to detail.
Among the questions raised was the future of quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The new head coach told media he had only met and spoken with Taylor for the first time just a few minutes before he met Western New York media.
McDermott joins an organization that has come under scrutiny by local football followers and national pundits alike, especially as the team's playoff drought continues. He relishes the opportunity for his first head coaching opportunity and says he will build a culture of winning, beginning internally.
"In my opinion, this was the best job on the market," he said.
