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How Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott went from William & Mary to head coaches for Steelers, Bills
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- How Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott went from William & Mary to head coaches for Steelers, Bills
How Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott went from William & Mary to head coaches for Steelers, Bills originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
A number of the NFL's best coaches have come from an unlikely place: William & Mary.
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That pipeline will be in the spotlight on Sunday in Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season, because the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin are taking on the Buffalo Bills and head coach Sean McDermott.
Tomlin and McDermott both hail from William & Mary, a college which has also produced three United States Presidents.
In the 1990s, Tomlin and McDermott actually played together at W&M under head coach Jimmye Laycock before starting on their coaching paths.
"When I think about many of my teammates," Tomlin told ESPN in 2019 , "Sean and I get a lot of attention because of the jobs we hold, but we have many teammates that are doing awesome things in many walks of life, that are just as 'successful' or more 'successful' than we are."
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Mike Tomlin college
Tomlin attended William & Mary as a wide receiver. He was a three-year starter who finished his college career with 101 catches, 2,046 yards and 20 touchdowns, and his 20 receiving TDs still rank fourth in William & Mary history.
After his playing career was through, Tomlin began his coaching career not far away at VMI. He worked his way through the college and pro ranks to become the Steelers' head coach in 2007, and he's the winningest Black head coach in NFL history.
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Sean McDermott college
McDermott was younger than Tomlin and was only a walk-on at W&M when the pair were on the roster together. McDermott eventually worked his way into a scholarship as a defensive back. He started every game in his final two seasons and compiled 322 tackles and four interceptions in his college career.
Upon graduation, McDermott joined the Philadelphia Eagles ' staff and was there for more than a decade. He was named the Bills' head coach in 2017, and McDermott helped break Buffalo's 18-year postseason drought.
Other William & Mary to NFL coaches
Other W&M connections to the NFL include:
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Marv Levy, whose final college coaching job was William & Mary
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Lou Holtz, who was hired by W&M when Levy left; it was his first college head coaching job
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Brian Daboll, who was a restricted earnings coach at W&M the same season McDermott was an all-conference safety
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Danny Smith, the Steelers' special teams coach who was an assistant at W&M for four seasons
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Dan Quinn, whose first coaching job was at W&M with both Tomlin and McDermott on the roster
Sometimes, the world of football coaching is particularly small.
