Could the Cleveland Browns circle back to Sean McDermott for their vacant head coach position?
The Buffalo Bills surprised the industry Monday morning by firing McDermott, less than 48 hours after they lost 33-30 to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.
McDermott, 51, interviewed for the Browns job in 2016 before the owner Jimmy Haslam ultimately hired Hue Jackson, who infamously went 3-36-1 in parts of three seasons in Cleveland before he was fired midway through the 2018 campaign.
McDermott Fired After 9 Seasons With Bills
After being spurned by the Browns, McDermott â the Carolina Panthersâ defensive coordinator from 2011-2016 â landed in Buffalo, where he helped turn around one of the NFLâs most crestfallen franchises.
In McDermottâs first season at the helm, the Bills went 9-7 and qualified for the postseason for the first time in 18 years. The Bills went 6-10 the next season, with Josh Allen as a rookie, but then followed that campaign with seven consecutive trips to the AFC playoffs.
Altogether, the Bills went 98-50 and won five AFC East titles under McDermott, plus 8-8 in the playoffs. But the teamâs inability to reach the Super Bowl ultimately led to his dismissal.
âSean helped change the mindset of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team,â Bills owner Terry Pegula said Monday in a statement. I respect all the work, loyalty and attention to detail he showed for this team and the community.â
Who Will Be the Browns Next Coach? Here Are the Candidates:
McDermott has already expressed his desire to continue coaching, and with seven vacancies throughout the NFL â not including the Bills â he stands a pretty good shot at landing another job.
As of Monday, the Browns had conducted interviews with at least eight known candidates: Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, and recently fired Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, as well as both of their own coordinators: Tommy Rees (offense) and Jim Schwartz (defense).
Kevin Stefanski was fired earlier this month after six seasons at the helm. He went 45-56 and made two trips to the playoffs, winning AP Coach of the Year both times (2020, 2023).
While the Browns have already scheduled second interviews with some candidates, it wouldnât be surprising to see them gauge McDermottâs interest based on their past.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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