McDermott close to rare Bills coaching mark

Amidst the Bills chase for an AFC playoff berth, head coach Sean McDermott, in his first year at the helm is close to achieving a mark rarely accomplished by Bills first-year head coaches.

With an 8-6 record, Sean McDermott has a chance to be the fifth coach in Bills history (of the 20 they’ve had) to have a record over .500 in his first full season with the team. Here’s a look at the coaches who have been able to post a better than .500 record in year one.

Bills’ Coaches – Record Over .500 in 1^st Full Season w/Team
Lou Saban, 1962          7-6-1
Joe Collier, 1966        9-4-1 *
Wade Phillips, 1998      10-6 *
Mike Mularkey, 2004      9-7
Sean McDermott, 2017     8-6

* team made postseason

Note: Marv Levy’s first “full” season was the strike-shortened 1987 season, when the Bills went 7-8. They did go 12-4 the following year.