Will McD ever have a coaching tree?

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Miracle ? The Bills handled business against Miami in week 17 and won the necessary games to get in as the Wildcard. Only because it was one of the last games of the regular season the Bengals game was so dramatic. It would’ve been the same result if it happened in week 9. 
 

I don’t think people hear how difficult it is to change the culture of a historically losing franchise. Go ask the Jets how much they would love a coach like McDermott. I get the criticism, but I hate when people try to take away his accomplishments. 

 

They had one in Todd Bowles but let him go.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

Just now, Gregg said:

 

They had one in Todd Bowles but let him go.

Which is my point. You can have the right coach (Bowles) and/or the right QB (Sam Darnold or even Rodgers) yet that’s still not a guarantee to turn things around. 

[Gregg]

1 minute ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Which is my point. You can have the right coach (Bowles) and/or the right QB (Sam Darnold or even Rodgers) yet that’s still not a guarantee to turn things around. 

 

As long as Johnson owns the Jets they are going nowhere. He is in the running for worst owner in all of sports. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Dabs is part of that tree, that's it though.

 

Doesn't mean a ton, Belicheck's tree is pretty awful looking. 

I will admit, I thought the list of OCs that JA has gotten HC jobs would be higher.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

19 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

curious why you wouldn’t consider Dabs or Brady as part of his tree? 

Maybe because they built a fairly substantial resume prior to being part of the McProcess staff?

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

McDermotts coaching tree ?

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

33 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

Maybe because they built a fairly substantial resume prior to being part of the McProcess staff?

I would argue that if you are an assistant under a successful head coach and then after that, directly go to be a head coach, you are considered “part of that tree.” 
 

Bit of a silly and pointless debate, but that seems like a decent general rule. 

[4th&long]

A bush maybe, but no tree. 

[Sierra Foothills]

On 10/22/2025 at 7:23 PM, Mikie2times said:

Some of the better leaders I have worked with have told me, you being an expert or great is not a sign that you’re doing your job well. How we perform when you aren’t there and how well you duplicate yourself with employees is. I think this logic clearly extends to coaches. To me it’s easier to validate who the very best are based on the number of future leaders and coaches they have been able to develop. 
 

Plenty of critical McD threads out there. I was hoping to focus this conversation on if anybody thinks McD will develop a coaching tree or has the capability of doing so, and if yes or no, how much does that matter in evaluating his success? 
 

Hypothetically, who would that tree consist of? I don’t consider Dabs, Frazier, or Brady as part of that tree. Does anybody here feel that is the case or could be in time? Maybe some influence? From my view this relevant as far as a different angle to evaluate his performance vs the standard stuff we hear on the board. 

 

Great topic and a refreshing change from the redundant McBeane hate and Wide Receivers topics.

 

23 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

I think the coaches under McD might be influenced by his "process" and culture.  But his tree will lack any distinctive, original X and O tactical stuff.  To me, that's not a true tree.  McD is just another branch in the Reid tree.  

 

Agreed.

 

21 hours ago, Bob Chandler's Hands said:

How about a Mike Tomlin tree or a John Harbaugh tree? I am not sure those exist either. 
The whole concept is sort of stupid given how many times coaches change teams in their career and are influenced by different experiences. 

 

Both of those coaches have had greater professional success than McDermott but true... neither one has a discernible tree...

 

21 hours ago, Ray Stonada said:

You don’t get a tree until you win a Lombardi.

 

I understand why that would be a criteria but I disagree... 

 

12 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Dan Campbell has two coordinators as HC's.  Kyle Shanahan has 2 and Robert Saleh. McVay has 4. Hell, even Todd Bowles has two. Sean has Daboll and Daboll doesn't even like Sean. So are we really linking them together? 

 

 

 

Firstly, great chart... thank you.

 

To the bolded I was excited to add that to the conversation until you brought it up on page 4.

 

I absolutely agree with you that Dan Campbell (Super Bowl or not) has a coaching tree... Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and soon, Kelvin Sheppard... and this after only 5 years as a Head Coach.

 

[BearNorth]

On 10/23/2025 at 12:25 AM, 90sBills said:

You forgot the granddaddy of them all…Walsh. 

Parcells begat Belichick

[90sBills]

Just now, BearNorth said:

Parcells begat Belichick

I know. I meant Walsh as someone with a big tree that was not mentioned. In the 90s all you heard was Walsh’ coaching tree. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

19 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Miracle ? The Bills handled business against Miami in week 17 and won the necessary games to get in as the Wildcard. Only because it was one of the last games of the regular season the Bengals game was so dramatic. It would’ve been the same result if it happened in week 9. 
 

I don’t think people hear how difficult it is to change the culture of a historically losing franchise. Go ask the Jets how much they would love a coach like McDermott. I get the criticism, but I hate when people try to take away his accomplishments. 

THANK YOU! 

 

People act like that one game is the only reason the Bills made the playoffs. Ironically, IIRC, the Bengals split their games with the Ravens that year while the Steelers swept the Ravens. Should we credit the Steelers? They did more to help us.

 

Had the Bengals game ended before the Bills game there would be no "Dalton got us in" rhetoric. 

[Madbillsfan]

Do green onions have branches?