Background and career
Michael Anthony Pettine Jr. (born September 25, 1966) is a senior defensive assistant for the Dallas Cowboys. In the National Football League (NFL), he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, and also served as the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.
Pettine earned all-state honors as a quarterback and defensive back at Central Bucks High School West. The head coach was his father, Mike Pettine Sr., who is renowned in Pennsylvania for compiling a record of 326–42–4 in 33 seasons and winning four state championships. Pettine played free safety at the University of Virginia graduating in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in economics.
Pettine coached high school football in Pennsylvania at North Penn and William Tennent high schools after working as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh (1993–1994). He also spent four years as an assistant coach under his father at Central Bucks West High School. In 1999, a New York Times TV crew documented the North Penn football season for ESPN in a film titled The Season. The TV show consisted of two separate hours and followed the team behind the scenes during the 1999 season and highlighted the rivalry between North Penn and Central Bucks West.
Pettine joined the Ravens in 2001 and was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2005 when Rex Ryan became defensive coordinator.
Pettine, as Rex Ryan's "right-hand man", reportedly received a three-year deal to lead the Jets defense. Pettine has been credited with contributing strongly to the Jets number one defense in the NFL in 2009. His tenure with the Jets ended after the 2012 season, with the expiration of his contract.
Pettine was hired to be the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills on January 9, 2013.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
