Getting to know ... Bills' new head coach Sean McDermott
A number of teams with vacancies are expected to bring aboard men with no head coaching experience. Just who are these mystery leading men? Let theScore's NFL editors break it down for you.
Sean McDermott
Position: Buffalo Bills head coach
Age: 42
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Previous employment: Defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers
Years coaching in NFL: 18
Previous teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Panthers
Why he's the man for the job:
In four of his five seasons in North Carolina, McDermott's defense ranked top 10 in the league.
The Bills' defense made a sharp decline in 2016. Their takeaways dropped from 25 in 2015 to 18 in 2016. Its rush defense, which ranked 16th last season, finished 29th this year, allowing 133.1 yards on the ground per game.
The Panthers were sixth in run defense allowing merely 91.6 rushing yards per game. The pass defense was porous, but with three rookie cornerbacks featuring in prominent roles, the secondary improved as the season wore on.
And don't forget the Panthers made the Super Bowl the year prior. That season, the pass defense was 11th in the league.
What he's also known for:
Forcing turnovers. After the Panthers led the NFL in takeaways in 2015, they placed second in both interceptions and sacks this year. Despite down individual years across the board, the Panthers' defense came together to produce a respectable statistical season.
McDermott's name came to prominence after the Panthers' Cinderella 2015 season in which they romped through the NFC all the way to the Super Bowl. It was in that year the he and the rest of his defensive staff took a former fifth-round pick in corner Josh Norman and turned him into a star.
Before that, he was best known for climbing the ranks from scouting coordinator to defensive coordinator in 11 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
What people are saying about him:
"I think he's deserving, I really do. If you go back and look at the things he's accomplished, his resume should speak for itself." - Panthers head coach Ron Rivera
"Phenomenal football coach. They're getting coached like crazy by a guy who is going to be a future head coach in this league." - Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
"I've already got two texts saying that I'll love McDermott ... just saying." - Bills center Eric Wood
"If Sean McDermott doesn't fix Buffalo, it won't be for lack of hard work. He is the ultimate grinder." - Charlotte Observer reporter Joe Person