Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott on Monday after a heartbreaking playoff defeat ended what many felt was the team's best opportunity to return to the Super Bowl.
McDermott, who had the Bills one win away from a Super Bowl berth in the 2020 and 2024 seasons, leaves Buffalo after nine seasons with a 98-50 record and 8-8 mark in the playoffs.
When McDermott took over in 2017, the Bills had not made the post-season since 1999. In his first year, they reached post-season and
ended a 17-year playoff drought that, at the time, was the longest active streak in major North American sports.
"Sean has done an admirable job of leading our football team for the past nine seasons," said Bills owner Terry Pegula.
"But I feel we are in need of a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level."
Pegula said General Manager Brandon Beane will remain in place and, as the new President of Football Operations, will lead the search for a new head coach.
The decision was announced two days after the Bills, led by reigning league MVP Josh Allen, suffered a 33-30 overtime defeat at the Denver Broncos that marked the latest in a line of post-season failures under McDermott.
Given the AFC playoff field did not feature quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore), there was belief the Bills would reach a first Super Bowl since losing four straight in the early 1990s.
But, despite having the usual suspects that they had to contend with for the AFC title sitting at home, Buffalo followed their AFC wild-card triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars with a crushing loss at Denver.
The Bills turned the ball over five times against Denver, the last coming on a critical and controversial interception in overtime that led to the Broncos' game-winning field goal.
There are now eight head coaching vacancies across the NFL with Miami, Tennessee, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Arizona and Cleveland also seeking replacements.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
