After graduating from Trinity, he spent the next 50 years as a football coach at the college and professional levels.
He was the head football coach at Wesleyan University from 1971 to 1986 and has also held coaching positions with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the Orlando Thunder, San Diego Chargers, Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, and Edmonton Eskimos.
A native of Providence, Rhode Island, MacDermott graduated in 1960 from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
He was named Wesleyan's head football coach in December 1970 following the retirement of Don Russell.
He later coached in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, and Edmonton Eskimos.