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Bills coaching candidates: 8 options after Sean McDermott fired
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- Bills coaching candidates: 8 options after Sean McDermott fired
Sean McDermott's time as the Buffalo Bills coach has come to an end after nine seasons.
The Bills have fired McDermott after the team's 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, according to multiple reports.
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McDermott posted a 98-50 record across his nine seasons with the Bills and only once had a losing season. The franchise won at least 10 games over each of his final seven seasons while Josh Allen developed into a perennial MVP candidate under his watch.
However, McDermott was never able to get the Bills over the hump during the NFL postseason. Buffalo made it as far as the AFC championship game under his watch but never played in a Super Bowl.
The team's latest early exit – this time in a playoff field without Patrick Mahomes , Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow – was the death knell for McDermott's term in Buffalo. As such, the Bills will look for a new coach for the first time since the 2017 NFL offseason.
Who could Buffalo target? Here's a look at some of the top coaching candidates the Bills could consider.
Bills coaching candidates: Who could replace Sean McDermott?
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady has drawn interest for coaching jobs around the NFL for the better part of two seasons. Could the Bills consider promoting the 36-year-old internally to replace McDermott?
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Brady helped lead the Bills to a strong offensive season in 2025, as they finished third in the NFL in offensive EPA per play, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Josh Allen has thrived under Brady's leadership, which isn't a surprise. Brady has a proven track record of getting the most out of elite-level quarterbacks, as he also oversaw Joe Burrow 's historic final season at LSU in addition to Allen's 2024 NFL MVP campaign.
Davis Webb , Denver Broncos passing game coordinator
There are plenty of other young, offensive-minded head coaches the Bills could target if they want a fresh voice. One such option would be Webb, who is only turning 31 ahead of the AFC championship game but has earned head coaching interviews this offseason.
Webb spent six seasons as an NFL backup quarterback before joining the Broncos in 2023 as their quarterbacks coach. Webb has quickly impressed, milking a respectable 98 passer rating from Russell Wilson in 2023 before developing Bo Nix into a solid starter who led Denver to playoff appearances in back-to-back seasons.
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Webb spent the 2019-21 NFL seasons in the Bills' quarterback room, so the organization is familiar with him. It's just a matter of whether the team believes he is seasoned enough to earn a head coaching opportunity so soon.
Nate Scheelhaase, Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator
Scheelhaase is another sharp, offensive-minded candidate who is drawing interest during this year's coach hiring cycle. He has interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Browns , Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers , so Buffalo could be interested in kicking the tires on the 35-year-old.
Scheelhaase has done excellent work in his first season as the Rams' passing game coordinator. He helped lead Matthew Stafford to an MVP-caliber season – during which the 37-year-old quarterback completed 65% of his passes for 4,707 yards, a league-best 46 touchdowns and just eight interceptions – while Puka Nacua continued to blossom into one of the NFL's best receivers under his watch.
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Like Webb, Scheelhaase has high-level quarterback experience of his own. He spent four years as a starter at Illinois from 2010-13 and first coached in the college ranks. He notably spent six seasons on Matt Campbell's staff at Iowa State before joining Sean McVay in the NFL.
Given the success of McVay's coaching tree, it would hardly be a surprise to see a team like the Bills take a flier on Scheelhaase to bring a fresh, offensive perspective to the team.
Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
If the Bills are looking for a more proven play-caller, they could consider targeting someone like Kubiak. The 38-year-old has called plays the last two seasons for the Seahawks and Saints and has found success doing so.
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This year, Kubiak has helped lead the Seahawks to the NFC championship game. Seattle has posted a top-three scoring offense in his first season while free-agent acquisition Sam Darnold has performed well under his tutelage. Darnold has built upon his 2024 success with the Minnesota Vikings and became just the second quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in back-to-back seasons, alongside Tom Brady .
Kubiak found similar success with Derek Carr in 2024, so his track record getting the most out of quarterbacks will impress front offices. He has also worked with Kyle Shanahan (2023) and is the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak.
Brian Daboll, former New York Giants head coach
Daboll probably isn't going to immediately get another head coaching job after his disappointing three-plus season stint with the Giants. He posted a 20-40-1 record over that span, so he's more likely to earn an offensive coordinator role during the 2026 hiring cycle.
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Still, Daboll had a successful four-year stint as the Bills offensive coordinator during which he helped develop Allen into the star he is today. That could be enough to land him an interview as the Bills look to keep their explosive, Allen-led offense intact after McDermott's departure.
Chris Shula, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator
If the Bills simply feel like they need a new voice, they could consider bringing in a defensive-minded candidate. Shula has drawn interest during the 2026 hiring cycle, with his leadership skills being lauded as well as his defense's performance.
Shula led the Rams to a top-10 defense in terms of EPA per play during the 2025 NFL season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats. That could interest the Bills, as could Shula's potential ability to bring over an offensive coordinator candidate who is versed in Sean McVay's offense.
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Shula the grandson of the NFL's all-time wins leader, Don Shula.
Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator
Minter is another up-and-coming defensive coordinator who would make for a strong first-time hire candidate. The 42-year-old has experience working for both John and Jim Harbaugh and has helped turn the Chargers defense into one of the league's most consistent units.
The Chargers had the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense in 2024, Minter's first season with the team, and ranked eighth in defensive EPA per play this season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats . He could similarly help Buffalo's defense improve after it struggled against the run and was more of a bend-don't-break unit in 2025.
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Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
The Bills are familiar with Flores from his three-year stint as the Dolphins' head coach. The 44-year-old is coming off an impressive stay as the Vikings' defensive coordinator, during which he turned Minnesota from a league-worst unit in 2022 to a defense that led the NFL in pressure rate (41.4%) during the 2025 season, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats .
Flores would give the Bills defense an attack-minded identity that would pair well with the team's already explosive offense.
Will Bills target Mike Tomlin to replace Sean McDermott?
Tomlin would ordinarily be a top target for the Bills and other teams around the NFL after his decision to step down from the Steelers following their wild-card loss to the Texans .
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However, all reports indicate Tomlin is planning not to coach during the 2026 NFL season. That included a report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, who reiterated Tomlin's intentions on NFL Network on Jan. 19.
Additionally, as Tomlin stepped down from his role with the Steelers, he remains under contract with the team. As such, any decision for the 53-year-old to return to coaching in 2026 would require convincing Pittsburgh to trade his rights to the team looking to hire him.
That additional complication could scare off any team interested in Tomlin. And again, it seems like the long-time Steelers coach wants at least a year off from coaching anyway.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will replaces Sean McDermott? Bills' top coaching candidates
