Sean McDermott expressed “gratitude and appreciation” to the Bills on Monday evening following his firing just days after Buffalo was eliminated from the postseason in heartbreaking fashion.
The Bills decided to move on from McDermott on Monday night after nine seasons in which he led them to a regular-season record of 98-50, although he was 8-8 in the playoffs.
“For nearly a decade I have had the opportunity to wake up every morning as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills, which has truly been a gift,” McDermott wrote. “I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Pegula family, the Buffalo Bills organization, and to the fans for allowing me to live out the dream of being a Head Coach in the NFL in this incredibly special place.
“I am proud and humbled to have worked alongside amazing staff and players as we shared life together and poured out our hearts and souls into both winning football games and making a positive impact in our community. This community graciously embraced not only me but my family and in some ways helped raise our children over the last 9 years. For that I say thank you to all of the teachers, coaches, and friends whom we met along the way…the City of Good Neighbors! We Love You! We will miss Buffalo.”
McDermott also praised the Bills fanbase, describing Bills Mafia as a “joy and inspiration” and writing that he had wanted to see his players compete with the “same level of toughness and grit that is true to Buffalo and that you demonstrate every day!”
The now-former Bills coach is sure to garner plenty of interest from other organizations, with the Ravens, Steelers, Browns, Cardinals and Raiders all searching for head coaches.
Several coaching vacancies have been filled already, with the Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski and the Giants tapping John Harbaugh as their next head coach.
The Dolphins also made a coaching hire on Monday, bringing in Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and the Titans are said to have narrowed their search down to a list of three known finalists.
McDermott closed his statement with a message of hope for what will come next for him.
“God gave me and my family an incredible opportunity, one that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Yet we know that HE has a plan,” McDermott wrote.
