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When Sean McDermott took over as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, the then-43-year-old put in ridiculous hours while trying to turn the franchise around. Now, though, with 49 regular-season wins, four playoff appearances, and three playoff wins under his belt, McDermott is pumping the breaks a bit. He’s no longer so maniacally dedicated to his job that he’s sleeping in his office. And defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier says that’s a great sign.

Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is finding some work/life balance

Former Carolina Panthers DC Sean McDermott took over the Buffalo Bills head job in 2017. At that point, the team hadn’t been to the playoffs in the 21st century.

The once-great franchise that went to four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s had fallen on hard times. The Bills hired and fired eight head coaches after Marv Levy retired in 1997.

McDermott cured the Bills’ playoff drought in his first season, making the postseason with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback in 2017. A year later, McDermott and the Bills drafted Josh Allen. Since then, the Western New York organization has become one of the best squads in the NFL.

At least part of this success is due to McDermott’s tireless work ethic.

Now an established NFL head coach, McDermott is singing a different tune. He recently told the Buffalo News (h/t Pro Football Talk), “After a few days [of minicap] this week, we’re going to unplug a little bit to get away, speaking of balance, and enjoy a little bit of what life has to offer.”

McDermott’s DC, Leslie Frazier, thinks this new “balance” speaks volumes about the head coach’s growth as a person and a leader. 

“That’s a sign of growth, compared to a young Sean McDermott,” Frazier said after hearing his boss’ comments. “He’s put a priority on family and spending time with our family, even though we spend a lot of hours here. A lot of hours. But he’s not one of those guys who will sleep at the office anymore, that’s way behind him.”

McDermott also said, “then we fire back up at the end of July, and we get this thing cranked up all the way here.” So, don’t worry, Bills Mafia, he’ll be ready to go when the bell rings. 

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Tim Crean

Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs.

As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early ’90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA.

When he’s not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.