ORCHARD PARK – Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has generally not fared well when it comes to NFL coaching awards, but that changed Thursday when the prestigious Maxwell Football Club announced him as the winner of the 36th Earle “Greasy” Neale Award as the Most Outstanding Coach in pro football.
This is separate from the Associated Press Coach of the Year award that has already been voted on by a panel of media members and will be announced at the NFL Honors show during Super Bowl week.
McDermott finished runner-up for the AP award in 2020, the year he led the Bills to the first of their five straight AFC East titles and their only appearance to date in the AFC Championship Game.
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Chuck Knox (1980) is the only Bills coach in the NFL to have won the AP award, though Lou Saban won the AFL version of the AP award in 1965. Marv Levy won the 1988 Sporting News Coach of the Year honor, and he also won the 1988 and 1993 United Press International award, though that has been defunct since 1996.
The Neale award, established in 1989, is voted on by a different panel and it recognizes exceptional leadership, strategic innovation, and significant impact on the game. This is the first time McDermott has won it, and he is also the first Bills coach to win it.
He joins other big names such as four-time winner Andy Reid, two-time winners Tony Dungy, Sean Payton and Dick Vermeil, Chuck Noll, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and his counterpart in Sunday’s AFC divisional round playoff game, John Harbaugh.
This season, McDermott became the fifth coach in NFL history with five straight 11-win seasons, joining Belichick, Reid, Dungy and Tom Landry.
On their way to a 13-4 record and fifth straight AFC East titles, the Bills became the first team since 2009 and one of eight teams all-time to clinch a division title with five weeks remaining in the season. They also became the first team to ever defeat two 15-plus win teams in a single season (Chiefs and Lions).
For his career, McDermott ranks second all-time in regular season wins (86) in a head coach’s first eight NFL seasons.
Who is Earle “Greasy” Neale?
The award is named in tribute to Earle “Greasy” Neale who played professionally for three seasons before the NFL actually became the NFL from 1917-19, then began a coaching career that included multiple collegiate programs, and 10 years as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles where he won the NFL championship in both 1948 and 1949.
Early in his life, when it wasn’t football season, he played parts of eight years in Major League Baseball (1916-24), mostly with the Cincinnati Reds and he finished with a career batting average of .259 in 768 games.
He was on the 1919 team that won the World Series, which was later found to have been thrown by the Chicago White Sox, the infamous Black Sox. In that World Series, the outfielder batted .357.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, and he has written numerous books about the history of the team. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social. Sign up for his Bills Blast newsletter here: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has been named the recipient of the prestigious Earle “Greasy” Neal Coach of the Year award for his outstanding leadership and success during the 2021 NFL season.
McDermott guided the Bills to a remarkable 11-6 record, clinching the AFC East division title and securing a spot in the playoffs. Under his guidance, the team’s defense ranked among the top in the league, while the offense displayed a potent and dynamic attack.
Throughout the season, McDermott’s strategic game planning, player development, and ability to motivate his team were on full display. His steady hand and unwavering commitment to excellence have earned him the respect and admiration of players, fans, and fellow coaches alike.
In receiving the Earle “Greasy” Neal Coach of the Year award, McDermott joins an elite group of coaching legends who have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to the game of football. This honor is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport.
Congratulations to Sean McDermott on this well-deserved honor. The Buffalo Bills and their fans are proud to have him leading the charge and look forward to more success in the seasons to come. #CoachOfTheYear #SeanMcDermott #BuffaloBills
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