Bills introduce Chan Gailey as head coach

hope is not a plan. But for Nix/Gailey’s sake I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. If Gailey and Nix are truly running the show, if they truly have 100% control of every single personnel decision…..then I can live with it. If not, if Modrak, Guy, Ralph still have this “inner-circle” crap going on, or committee approach, then expect the same old. I have nothing against Chan Gailey. It will be weird to now have a HC that is HC and OC. Moving to a 3-4 would be intriguing to say the least. Gotta love the southern draw of Nix and Gailey at least!

I was typing on that last post when it got closed!

I know it would mean a major overhaul, but I’d be excited about it.

Hey, isn’t MattRichWarren a teacher?

Dude, you got a shot to be a coach of the Bills!

Now we can move on to finding coordinators so they can start looking at the roster and kick some of the bums to the curb. I like what I see so far.

After the shock, anger, embarrassment subsided, I’m feeling more comfortable with Gailey as Bills HC. What ever anyone says or thinks at this point won’t change a thing. We’ll have to wait several months to find out, so in the meantime why not be positive? Hell it would be nice to see him on the sidelines wiping the smug smirk off of Jerry Jones face when the Bills play the Cowboys in a couple of years. How fitting to see a former Dallas HC coaching the Bills against a former Bills HC coaching in Dallas. [Wade probably won’t last that long though]

Gailey also made it obvious that he won’t be running a specific offensive system, stating that he simply wanted to move the ball and score points. He’ll tailor his scheme and his play-calling around the personnel making up Buffalo’s offensive unit in 2010 and beyond.

I know somebody who is real happy with this statement.

Nix claims that he “could have hired 35 or 40” guys throughout the search based on the amount of interest in the position.

Bwhahahahahahahahaha, the guys posting their resumes on BB.com don’t count Buddy.

I will say that the relationship between Buddy and the media is going to be the most exciting thing to happen to the team this year. They already hate him.

Super Bowl: 0 mentions (correct me if i’m wrong, i only heard 3/4 of the press conference).

Nix basically stated the Bills have bad QBs, right?

I was downright flabbergasted this morning when I heard the news. For one, I was still in bed and had to rub my eyes to see if I was reading the ESPN bottom line correctly. Luckily it took several minutes to clear my head for it to cycle through again and there it was. At first I was really just confused about it. I thought Frazier was a done deal and he was honestly the choice that I wanted from the get-go. Big-names are only ticket sellers to be honest. They don’t guarantee anything. Since that is true, I am willing to give any man the benefit of the doubt, knowing full well that it’s not about how he was hired, but how he does on the field. I absolutely love the idea of Nix and Gailey working together to make the decisions and that Nix has the final say. I think Gailey is absolutely qualified to be the coach of this team and the hire is only stunning and getting so much hate around here and all of WNY because it is such a shock and therefore, most see it as a “settling” on Gailey.
With all of that being said, the most important thing for Chan Gailey’s success is simple: FIND A QUARTERBACK
Find me a good football coach and I’ll find you a good QB on the field. What do Wade, Williams, Mularkey, Jauron and Fewell all have in common? No quarterback play worth a red cent. If Gailey and Nix can find us a QB, they will be successful. If not, then they won’t. Plain and simple.

Adam_Schefter: Two teams said they considered hiring Chan Gailey last year, but questioned “sizzle” factor with fans. Great coach, but not popular w/ fans.

Fans love sizzle. Buddy doesn’t care.

i like that hes not gonna force some scheme on players that dont fit it. i like that he will bring intensity to the practices and hopefully the games. i like that he will improve our running game. i hate that so many people arent giving him a chance before he runs one play….

What, too soon?!

Speaking of, what was the health question at the end?

Like many, I was not thrilled when the Bills decided to hire Gailey. But with that being said, I think we all have to give him a chance to prove us wrong. One thing that stood out to me was that he used the word accountable. It seems over the past couple years, there has been a genuine lack of accountability on this team. Hopefully that was just not lip service. Best of luck Chan. Go Bills

Does anyone else see and hear Buddy Nix and automatically think of Slim Pickens? I know I do.

Dang it, I keep reading quotes from Buddy in his voice in my head!

Gailey made a specific point about character guys and that meant on & off the field…. could this be the death knell for Marshawn or Whitner (although I’m not sure those resisting arrest charges ever went forward)? Other than that…. I am now Buddy Nix’s biggest and bestest fan….anyone who busts Jerry Sullivan’s stones like that is ok in my book!

I’m accusing the BIlls of reverse ageism!!

After watching that press conference i feel pretty good about chan gailey. I was skeptical at first after reading all the negative feed back on him, but he seems like he has his head on his shoulders. I just hope that because he is offense driven that he will either be able to give trent edwards the pair of testicles he so desperately lacks, or get somebody who can run our offense. I’m interested to see who we get as a defensive coordinator as well…as the plot thickens

Scare anybody else that he said the 3-4 is growing on him because he’s had a tough time against it?

We play 3 teams with the 3-4 in our division Chan, better figure it out real quick!

was very uplifting for a fan to watch thanks to some glimpses at potential revelations that IF true, are very encouraging.

The best possibility to emerge from that presser was that in Buffalo, its a new day as things will be done right this time personnel wise. If Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey are the only two men with final say on personnel that signals better days ahead for this team in the draft, in free agency, in trades, and in coaching vacancies. I trust both men as superior football minds and superior football minds having final say as opposed to businessmen and an entire inner circle is major improvement.

The other awesome possibility to emerge from the presser is something that has really upset me in recent years as a fan. Gailey seemed to imply – and Brian seems to agree – that he will tailor his schemes around his players. Hallelujah! This Buffalo team had talent the last four years, but it stumbled because the coaching staff of Dick Jauron was adamant in employing specific scheme regardless if the personnel on the field was fit for it. The Tampa 2 never seemed to find the players it needed to work now did it? The no huddle offense? What a disaster! Trying to force a no huddle when over 50% of our offensive line had never started an NFL game was downright lunacy. Couple that with a young QB and it doesn’t take a genius to know we didn’t have the adequate players to run a no huddle. Gailey might develop strategies, schemes and plays to maximize the talent of the players he has on the field. People always complain that Buffalo doesn’t have playmakers on offense and defense. The reason why is because playmakers require schemes designed around them to be utilized to the fullest. You don’t cramp them to fit a scheme unless their built for it. Gailey will find out what our players are built for and has the offensive creativity and mind to build a scheme around them.

Finally, Gailey wants teachers not schemers as coordinators. This will mesh well with his own skills as a schemer and the youth of the Bills core and players to come.

I still have the same opinion of Gailey as I did this morning, that its upsetting to not get Cowher, but that I approve of the move over picking up a coordinator like Frazier or Grimm. Hailey has won in this league as a head coach before, like Nix said that experience is priceless. So still, I’m not happy because I wanted more, but I’m not mad, because I believe it could have been a lot worse.

Prove me wrong. I dare you.

please…?

“Every coaching vacancy is attractive, even Oakland gets calls” lol He makes me giggle.

“The Bills just hired the offensive version of Dick Jauron. Quiet, nice guy, good coordinator, not a good head coach”

Great.

Apparently Gailey believes in tackling in practice; to the ground. That right there is a step in the right direction. These players play soft and could benefit from some tussling in the grass.

not that their opinion means much, but i am watching espn around the horn and all the writers said that gailey was a bad hire.

who cares though? That is a terrible show anyway. You have to think that Nix knew that this decision would not be popular with the media when he made the decision, so he must have had some good reasoning

buddy nix emphasized he wanted to bring in a coach who could develop (young) quarterbacks. that being said, do the Bills intend on going with either Edwards or Fitzpatrick at QB?

He’ll tailor his scheme and his play-calling around the personnel making up Buffalo’s offensive unit in 2010 and beyond.

This is what a good coach should do. And this is what we’ve missed in Buffalo is Marv left. Its a step in the right diretion if you ask me.

Gailey’s defensive coordinator will have ultimate say over what scheme the Bills run defensively

GOOD!!! Gailey may have an idea in what direction he wants the D to go, but the fact that he’ll be handing all deffensive responsibilities to his DC is a good thing. Gailey is an Offensive guy, and he knows it. So its encouraging to know that he wont mingal with what is his weak point. I think the DC position is the most important hire left for the Bills.

“I can’t say anything to change anybody’s mind. All I can do is win football games.”

Lets hope that he puts his money where his mouth is.

Nix and Gailey – no one else – will have final say over personnel decisions.

GREAT!!! It’s as it should be. Let the football minds make the calls… which btw is another thing our team has done wrong in recent years. YOU DON’T LET A MARKETING GUY DO THE DRAFTING!!!!

Gailey all but confirmed that he wasn’t the team’s first choice, however, by claiming relief that other candidates’ willingness to turn down the job afforded him the opportunity to work here.

No big surprise there. Although it all but confirms that Frazier also turned down the job. And that Cowher never wanted it.

“I wanted somebody that had developed quarterbacks.”

I think that its important to note that every QB that Chan has “developped” imidietly started sucking as soon as Chan left town. I think that is a tribute to Chan’s ability to make the best out of his players. Lets hope that he still carries that ability here in Buffalo.

You can call me a homer if you want, but I don’t mind this heering. He wasn’t my first choice, or even in my top 5, but its not a bad choice either. I just hope that Chan can put his money where his mouth is and turn us into a winning team.

Honestly, I think Chan should shave his head completely. He’d look fantastically badass.

  1. It does appear that he and Buddy are on the same page, something we have obviously been lacking.
  2. Chan is not an inexperienced, hyped up, youngster with no experience.
  3. They have the full backing of Ralph. Maybe no meddling.
  4. We are undefeated right now in 2010, and have lots of good young players coming back.
  5. I don’t see a downside folks. After another good draft, getting injured players back, and maybe a couple free agent signings, I see huge upside next year.
PLUS, you gotta love Buddy not taking crap at the press conference. This is his dream job….. yes, he wants to be here just like Chan, and they will do what they think is RIGHT for the team. Not what is politically correct. (Read Ryan, whose team is in the AFC championship this weekend. Everyone thought he was a Bozo last year, and look what happened. Just sayin").
For better or for worse, they will pull the trigger on what they think is right. I just hope we get some quality coordinators. I think Chan can make that happen.
At least their hearts are in it and we have a realistic chance next year.

I wasn’t completely on board with this hire at first, and still not completely thrilled about it, but think of this. I’ve been a Yankee fan for about as long as I’ve been a Bills fan (which is most of my life) and I seem to recall a certain managerial hire in ‘95 or ’96 that people in the Yankee Universe weren’t all that thrilled with. The guys name was Joe Torre and at the time he was a failure of a manager at best. There was a lot of upheaval within the fan base and a lot of screaming about how the guy was a bum and George Steinbrenner and the Yankee brass had lost their minds. The rest, as they say is history! 4 world championships and all but one year the Yanks were in the playoffs.

Fast forward to now and this hire. I want to believe Buddy Nix truly wants to be here and he truly wants to turn this thing around. Chan Gailey hasn’t exactly set the world on fire as a HC in the NFL… but nothing is saying he wasn’t the right hire for what Buddy Nix’s vision for this team is. Stranger things have happened and I have no reason to believe that Chan can’t be a successful HC in Buffalo. Everyone has been screaming and running the gambit of emotions over what has transpired. My opinion is that we should give the guy a chance and let the results speak for themselves! Who knows, this guy could be our equivelant of what Joe Torre turned out to be for the Yanks.

BS……..on this part alone…….

And it is different, there is a learning curve, and everybody goes through it that hasn’t done it. There is no school for it, there is no internship. I don’t care how long you’ve been an assistant, the day you become a head coach, you start learning how to be one

Why are there many ROOKIE HC’s around the league the last few years who have so very successful, while there are other previous HC around the league who took other jobs and failed miserably?

BS.

On the positive side………Im glad that The Chan Chan man and Buddy are going for “Teacher types” for their assistant coaches………………and it will also be nice to have people to blame and praise for personnel decisions………instead of having to guess who to blame/praise.

nor the process or reasoning for it.

I don’t really mind Chan Gailey as a football coach, but he’s way too similar to Dick Jauron for me. Solid football coach, but a questionable head coach. That’s what really worries me about this move. Is Gailey a low ceiling head coach? How far can he actually lead us?

I really, really, really would love to know why this was kept a secret. It had to be because it was obvious the fanbase would have rioted if they heard Gailey was the leading candidate or a top choice. Instead, the team somehow kept it all quiet and pretty much had Gailey hired by the time anyone found out. We didn’t even have a chance! Savvy, Buddy and Russ, savvy.

I like that Gailey has had success on the offensive end. That is something that this team so desperately needed. I totally understand the desire to bring in a coach with an offensive background and NFL success. Let’s hope he can success as the HC and play caller. Does that work out well, ever?

The OC hire isn’t going to be a big issue, but the DC sure will be. It is an absolute must that the Bills and Gailey find a coordinator with the chops to have success and an actual plan. Please, for the love of God, no more square pegs in round holes defensively. I’m sick of seeing this team trying to force guys into roles they aren’t going to succeed in. If we turn to a 3-4, so be it. It’ll be a tough transition, with a lot of work to be done, but it’s a plan and I can definitely live with them building around that plan.

It’s about damn time we have someone with final say. That’s probably the best thing we’ve gotten all off-season. We just have to hope Nix is the right guy. Even thought it’ll be Nix and Gailey, I think ol’ Buddy will be making the final choice. Anybody know if Gailey has ever had any say in personnel decisions? Him having a lot of influence could be very good, but with no experience, we have to hope Buddy knows what he’s doing.

Some of Buddy’s comments are a bit puzzling to me.

“I want you to know, with all due respect, I don’t care,” Nix said. “It don’t bother me. I mean, everybody’s got an opinion. You guys got a job to do, and I’m trying not to make it difficult. My job is to get us the best guy to help us win games. And we found that guy. This guy met more of the criteria that I ever hoped we’d find. This guy’s won everywhere he’s been.”

His comments about making sure they got a HC with experience was also a bit shortsighted to me. Just because a guy hasn’t been an NFL HC doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have been successful…there are so many examples around the league. And there’s definitely no guarantee that a retread will find success simply because he’s been in the position before. This hire seems like a minimal risk, somewhat minimal reward type move. I guess it’s understandable, but at some point this franchise needed to take some adventurous risks…

One thing about Gailey that is refreshing is that he will be taking a hands on approach to the offense. No more deferring and letting the assistant coaches handle everything. Even though I think Gailey is rather conservative, it’s nice that he’s making sure he’ll be heavily involved. We just have to hope that’s a good thing…

I hope Gailey is the right move. I have my doubts and this reeks of the past 10 years, but a new vision is never a bad thing. It’s just a matter of whether it’s the right vision….

Now, it’s time to find a QB. That is the biggest challenge for the Buddy/Chan duo, and pretty much the only way they’ll have a successful run. Without that QB and leader of the offense, it’s unlikely this team will ever get much further than the Jauron teams did.

Oh, and please send John Guy packing. Please!!!!

I find it so eerie that I’ve agreed with you on atleast 90% of everything this last year………..