Bills address firing of head coach Sean McDermott during press conference

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula and President of Football Operations / General Manager Brandon Beane held a press conference Wednesday morning addressing the firing of head coach Sean McDermott.

Full press conference

This was the first time they have spoken to the media since the team announced the firing of McDermott Monday.

Pegula and Beane on McDermott

Pegula thanked McDermott for all of his work during the press conference, and said he believes he’s not done coaching in the league.

“Sean has definitely left the Buffalo Bills in a better place than when he arrived in 2017,” said Pegula. “He gave his heart and soul to trying to win a championship.”

Beane also thanked McDermott during the press conference Wednesday, saying him and McDermott started their journey together.

“That connection and that relationship I know factored into us building nine years and nine seasons here, and a lot of accomplishments together,” said Beane. “Things that we always worked on, things to get better, but we always did it together, and I’ll always appreciate the years.”

Beane continued on to say you think about the things that could’ve been done better, but he also remembers all the great times they’ve had.

“Sean’s a heck of a football coach, and we’ll always root for him and his family,” said Beane.

The decision behind letting go of McDermott

Pegula said his decision to bring in a new head coach was due to the results of the game in Denver, where the Bills lost in overtime to the Broncos.

According to Pegula, he was in the locker room after the game in Denver, and he first noticed Josh Allen crying, and claims Allen “didn’t even acknowledge he was there,” and was sitting there sobbing.

“He had given everything he had to try and win that game,” said Pegula. “And looking around, so did the other players on that team.”

After being in the locker room, Pegula says he felt the team “had hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year.”

“I just sensed in that locker room, where do we go from here with what we have, and that was the basis of my decision,” said Pegula.

Announcement of McDermott being fired Monday

Pegula released a statement Monday, which said McDermott has done an admirable job of leading the team for nine seasons. However, he stated he feels like the team is “in need of a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level.”

On Tuesday, the team thanked McDermott “for everything,” on social media.

Beane will oversee all football operations and will lead the search for a new head coach, working alongside Pegula and the Bills’ president of business operations in the hiring process.

Who will take over?

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills have requested an interview with Brian Daboll, the team’s former offensive coordinator who went on to become the New York Giants head coach. He’s also a University of Rochester grad and was raised in West Seneca. Daboll was fired by the Giants mid-season.

Schefter is also reporting that the Bills have scheduled an interview with Anthony Lynn, the team’s former assistant head coach and current run game coordinator for the Washington Commanders, for Saturday. He was a finalist for the Bills’ head coaching job in 2017 that went to McDermott.