ESPN: Say goodbye to Bobby April
by Brian Galliford on Jan 5, 2010 11:20 AM EST
in Buffalo Bills News
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PrintJohn Clayton at ESPN is reporting that Buffalo Bills special teams coach Bobby April has exercised a clause in his contract that terminates his deal. He is now a coaching "free agent," and teams hoping to interview him do not need to seek permission from the Bills to do so.
April leaves the Bills after six seasons as Buffalo's special teams coordinator, including the last four as Assistant Head Coach. Under April's tutelage, Buffalo's special teams units have consistently been among the league's top units, producing three No. 1 rankings from the Dallas Morning News and several star specialists, including kick returner Terrence McGee, punt returner Roscoe Parrish and punter Brian Moorman.
The ESPN report indicates that April was "livid" when, after the firing of Dick Jauron on November 17, Perry Fewell got the call as interim head coach instead of him. It's hard to blame him - he was the Assistant Head Coach, after all. Regarded as one of the finest and most innovative special teams coordinators in the league, it's highly unlikely that April will be out of work for long.
Give this guy some praise, folks. He's an outstanding coach that's been stuck in poor situations throughout the entirety of his Bills coaching career. He'll most definitely be missed.
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Good for him
He had the power and took it. Well played Bobby. He will be a loss for the Bills, but since he did get screwed over for the big job, what else was he supposed to do? I just hope he doesn’t end up in the AFC East somewhere.
Best of luck to Bobby April.
I’ll be more than happy to give up solid special teams if the Bills field a strong offense and defense. Outside of the Saints, the teams in the top 10 of ST aren’t very good. Special Teams matters, but i’m not sure April would have been around much longer anyway and i’m even less sure he’s the right person to take on HC duties for the Bills.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 11:33 AM EST reply actions
yet another error.
but what should we expect?
by quantumuprising on Jan 5, 2010 11:37 AM EST reply actions
It’s only an error if the team doesn’t improve as a whole. We all must exercise some patience with what’s transpiring.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 11:47 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
so removing the coach of the only good part of our team helps us improve as a whole? keep trying to justify that.
by quantumuprising on Jan 5, 2010 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
its about changing the culture – getting rid of all the coaches is necessary to make sure no one rests on their laurels.
plus – they had to do this in order to get a HC. imagine if cowher or billing are willing to take the job but not unless they can bring all their own coordinators. would you tell them no because of april?
Never put salt in your eyes
Bills goals = stop sucking
by J2 on Jan 5, 2010 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
April could become a malcontent with the new regime. He may already have become one with the current group. Special Teams wasn’t special this year. There were players who were: Moorman, Jackson, McINtyre, Wendling. I’ll give up great special teams any day of the week if it means having a good/great offense and a capable defense.
Special Teams benefits teams that can’t move the ball well, more than it does teams that don’t struggle to score TDs. Let’s hope this team becomes less reliant on ST play.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
keep trying to justify that.
be more condescending.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Jan 5, 2010 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
not really, more like a challenge to actually justify his theory of addition thru subtraction, which he did well.
be more offended.
by quantumuprising on Jan 5, 2010 12:49 PM EST up reply actions
sorry, i guess i misinterpreted.
there’s been a lot of the tone that I misinterpreted it for on the board lately. my apologies.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
If you’re referring to April’s not getting the interim job, then sure. If you’re referring to his leaving the team, he did that of his own volition.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Jan 5, 2010 1:01 PM EST up reply actions
The largest error, in this whole picture, was the timing of the Jauron firing. That was either 10 months too late, or 2 months too soon. How did that help the team at all? (I know I am preaching to the choir…just needed to say it.)
Go Bills! I mean 'stay' Bills...
it let us get a head start on searching for our next coach
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
by poz on Jan 5, 2010 4:04 PM EST up reply actions
if they installed Nix at the time of Jauron's firing, it would've made a whole lot more sense.
it seems like they had a few week long process were they tried to hit a home run with holmgren, cowher or shanahan, and only a week ago did they start the real process. seems like a waste.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Jan 5, 2010 6:47 PM EST up reply actions
it would have been a disaster
if they didnt at least try for those guys dont you think? This blog would have been in flames.
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
by poz on Jan 5, 2010 8:10 PM EST up reply actions
definitely
they should have tried, but I think they should have gotten the GM in place first or at least put Buddy in charge of the search so that if they couldn’t get holmgren (who at this point seems to be the only guy who is going to get complete control), at least they’d have the same guy running the whole process.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
Sorry to see him go but,
If we get a good head coach I am sure we still can have very good speciai teams. I still do not understand why he was not named head coach when Jauron was let go, not that it would have made a difference in the season, but maybe he might have been inclined to stick around.
honestly? why DID he get passed over?
sure he’s only the ST coach, but if he’s also assistant head coach that’s a different story.
Because if they promoted him he would never take a demotion and go back to special teams coach with this organization again. It was the only chance we had to ever hope to keep him as an assistant past this year. It back-fired and he got mad that he was passed over and he has decided to move on. He is truly excellent at his craft and he will soon find work elsewhere in this league, hopefully not for an AFC East foe. Sad to see him go but if that’s the sacrifice we have to make to be good at the other 2 aspects of this game, then so be it.
B-B-B-Byrd Byrd Byrd, Byrd is the Wyrd!"
yeah, but if that is the case then why make him the Asst HC in the first place? in addition, wouldn’t it seem as though their intention was a total rebuild at the point of the DJ firing? i realize he had the title at that point, so he should have been the interim, but i really seems like it made more sense to promote Fewell, whose defense was the sole reason we even had a chance in any game. not april for fielding his worst special teams squad of his tenure…
FS Jairus Byrd- Pro Bowl Rookie
but if that is the case then why make him the Asst HC in the first place?
This was probably Jauron’s decision – so once he was gone it was an internal decision. As far as that internal decision – as much as we all like to think we know what’s going on at OBD – we really don’t. I’m sure there is a reason that Fewell was picked over April. None of us know – we can speculate – but assumptions are the mother of all f**ups. so we should probably just let this die because we have no idea what was happening inside the chaos that is OBD
Never put salt in your eyes
Bills goals = stop sucking
by J2 on Jan 5, 2010 4:40 PM EST up reply actions
He was the best Special Teams Coach we ever had...
but I find it interesting the productivity of the return game declined when the NFL made using the “connected wall” illegal.
the fact that so many special teams guys were in and out with injuries doesn’t help.
by quantumuprising on Jan 5, 2010 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
I think Fewell’s ability to manage a larger group of players with a VERY large rate of turnover this season played into his promotion.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
meh
i was never that enthralled by Bobby April. I dont mean that in any disrespect at all. The guy is the best special teams coach in the league in my opinion. But somehow, three number one units never meant even a winning record, let alone a playoff birth (I dont think we were no 1 in 2004). April is a luxury for a team to have. And teams as bad as the Bills cant afford luxury. We need to focus on offense and defense and special teams can follow.
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
It's going to be odd NOT seeing Bobby April
on the sidelines. He has been such an integal part is a generally-good special teams unit. Frankly, he’s the only coach from the Dick Jauron I’ll miss.
He was here pre-Jauron
so technically he wasn’t a Jauron hire….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
A hell of a coach, but at the end of the day, this was written on the wall basically with the departure of Jauron. I will miss his great Special Teams in Buffalo, but I won’t miss spending a ton of backups primarily on the purpose of ST.
by BillsfanfromDenmark on Jan 5, 2010 12:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I won’t miss spending a ton of backups primarily on the purpose of ST.
I think that’s the most prescient comment here. The ST were so good for so long at the expense of real starter-caliber and strong depth players on the offense and defense.
2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
yup
and when all the starters went down we had marcus buggs ready to play. We needed those backups for offense and defense.
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
by poz on Jan 5, 2010 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
The ESPN report indicates that April was “livid” when, after the firing of Dick Jauron on November 17, Perry Fewell got the call as interim head coach instead of him.
I thought he was offered it first then turned it down. Either way I don’t think this is a major loss. It’s not like he was the holy grail of ST coaches and we can’t do any better. He was good but not THAT good.
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
I made it clear that that was speculation on my part. The fact that he wasn’t offered the job makes you wonder why it took so damn long for Wilson/Brandon to name an interim replacement when Jauron got the hook.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Jan 5, 2010 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
Someone should post that clip of April getting leveled on the sidelines
I would do it, but utube is blocked at work.
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations" – Dan Dierdorf
like Fred Jackson
He maneuvered through the endless controversy, was all class, and concentrated on putting the best product out there. Given the injuries, I’m sure he scrambled mightily to do that.
Vegas oddsmakers
have Cowher a 3:1 shot to be the Bills next HC and Brian Schottenheimer a 4:1 odds for whatever thats worth.
MARVelous - "I went from America's team to North America's Team" Terrell Owens
I hope Vegas is right!
The first part, I mean….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Bill Cowher fired Bobby April in Pittsburgh
wonder if April’s termination of his own contract with the Bill’s is an ominous signal of an impending signing of Cowher as HC? Probably not, but it’s a nice thought anyway.
most of my posts get deleted :(
i believe it
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
by poz on Jan 5, 2010 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
Couldn't he have just fired him again if it was such an issue?
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
wow
way to welcome in the new HC… let him S**Tcan the former assistant HC. hahaha… seems obvious that sweeping change is the intention and OBD was certainly aware of any clauses. we aren’t getting anything for any of them anyway so let em go… good luck to April. he wasn’t the difference maker at HC we needed though anyway.
FS Jairus Byrd- Pro Bowl Rookie
Does it really matter?
Yes, even Marv Levy stressed the importance of special teams, but when we are last in Offense at 30th, while we had the 19th ranked defense, this team has bigger problems. Special teams doesn’t help you get to the playoffs over an offense that can move the ball or a defense that can stop the run!
by BuffaloWhiner on Jan 5, 2010 2:49 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
True, but they CAN keep you in a close game or win you one if your O and D are equal to your opponents that day
When all else is equal it comes down to the third part of the game plan to help you out. If your able to hit FGs, pin the opponent deep in their end or run one back, that can be the margin of victory, and April’s ST units DID win us a number of games the past few years.
I will miss him, but not surprised that he is gone at all. With all the stuff happening at OBD and with the number of lower ranking coaches and also Coordinators going to be canned this offseason since owners won’t want to eat big contracts owed HC’s so they will look elsewhere to save cash/make a splash, not surprised at all.
As my mother once said, common sense isn't as common as it should be, I'm looking at you Ralph, get the Front Office in order, THEN worry about who your HC is....
Not this year
ST’s actually cost us a couple games this year.
Why do today, when it can wait til tomorrow; the games on!
agreed. As good as April was for us, this team needs to be blown up and rebuilt (coaching staff wise) It wasnt that he was a bad coach… its that no one on this staff has done anything while being employed by the Bills. Coaches fault… players fault… owners fault… whoevers it may be, the coaches go first. I think it was a smart move and April was smart by becoming a “free agent.”
Best of luck to you Coach April
"We should be wearing a ski mask right now. We stole something." - Ryan Miller after the 3 goal comeback against Atlanta
yeah, he will remember all the trick plays for the next ST coach haha
FS Jairus Byrd- Pro Bowl Rookie
It can't be that hard for him to remember to kick the ball high and far
no matter who’s whispering in his ear.
Or
Brian Moorman should be the next ST coach!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
if he wasn't our best player
i will take him in a heartbeat as a coach when he can’t play and when he isn’t avg over 40 yds a punt
FS Jairus Byrd- Pro Bowl Rookie
Player coach I like the sound of that
As my mother once said, common sense isn't as common as it should be, I'm looking at you Ralph, get the Front Office in order, THEN worry about who your HC is....
guess we need to re-sign Denney
who else is going to catch all those touchdowns.
by NordicBillsfan on Jan 5, 2010 4:37 PM EST up reply actions
Aaron Maybin's not doing much, maybe him?
Low blow?
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
haha but does he have the hands of Ryan Denney?!
"We should be wearing a ski mask right now. We stole something." - Ryan Miller after the 3 goal comeback against Atlanta
he's shown the the same ability to be completely invisible on the field
which helped Denney get wide open for those scores.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Jan 5, 2010 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It will be tough to bear if he lands in the AFC East.
Thanks for the memories, Bobby! One of my favorites was the fake FG in the season opener last year.
Go Bills! I mean 'stay' Bills...
you just know its going to happen… :-/
"We should be wearing a ski mask right now. We stole something." - Ryan Miller after the 3 goal comeback against Atlanta
i dont think Bobby would do that
unless the money was significantly better
"you just have to know there's always going to be adversity. None of these games are going to be easy. Nothing will be given to us" - Paul Posluszny
by poz on Jan 5, 2010 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
If Thurman went to Miami to PLAY, Bobby April can go to another AFC East team to coach.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
Won't be with the Jets
And if the Pats stay in the playoffs for a while, April might already have a home by the time they are done.
I guess Miami is the one to watch out for!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Good luck to April
Guy deserves some credit, his special team plays get us some wins during DJ era. But, it’s time to move on for both parts. We need a new philosophy and new guys here.
This is terrible
I’m very disappointed. Though I’m on board with this if we land Cowher or somebody great because of it, how are we logically connecting losing the greatest special teams coach of the past decade with gaining some competent coordinators on offense and defense? If the result was that simple, we’d have fired him long ago.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
April was the best!!!
There are already rumors that the Steelers & Lions are interested in April’s services.
For those of you who don’t think losing him was a big deal you are dead wrong as some one stated you don’t get better by getting rid of the best ST coach in the league. The circumstances warranted him leaving but it leaves a gaping hole that will be difficult to fill no matter who comes as HC.
The Steelers special teams were horrid this year, didn’t they give up at least 3 TD’s on KO returns during their 5 game losing streak which all games were lost by aTD or less. I bet they would have made the playoffs with better ST play.
In “99” the Bills struggled with ST play and reverted to squibbing kick offs—- the Bills lost their playoff game because of bad special team play—-who can ever forget “The Music City Miracle” when all they had to do was make a play and the game was over.
Yeah the Bills need to improve both the offense and defense that goes without saying but now they are weaken in their only unit of real strength….
"If you don't have good habits you have bad habits there are no in between habits"
1) who is to say that ST will get so markedly worse that they’ll destroy the team’s ability to win? We haven’t even had a new coach put into place, let alone an across the board talent evaluation. To make an assumption that ST will go down the tubes is ludicrous.
2) The “99” Bills also made the playoffs. We’ve only come close to that team one time. And why? It’s because the defense was a top 5 defense and the offense was able to score enough to win games. While the ST was the critical blunder in what made Tennessee’s decade and perhaps their franchise, let’s also remember who the ST coach was at that time: Bruce DeHaven. Remember him??? He who coached Steve Tasker, Mark Pike and some of the best ST units we had in Buffalo. Or did he all of a sudden become a bad coach during that one play?
3) The Steelers FG and Punt units were fine. Reed and Sepulveda are good kickers and their coverage units played fine (perhaps except against the Browns but who couldn’t stop Josh Cribbs?) They lost because their defense couldn’t hold a damn fourth quarter lead and they were without arguably their best defensive player (and one of the best safties in the league) in Troy Palomalu.
4) Again, I agree with the other posters, if you’re worried about losing an ST coach, you are missing the big picture here. Let’s let things play out, including the roster overview as well as the the head assistant coaches put into place, before we freak out.
by sabre74kkn on Jan 5, 2010 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
one correction – I did a little research and yes the Steelers had horrid coverage units this year … http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2009/11/25/1173200/just-how-bad-has-the-pittsburgh
but again ST coverage units are part on the coaches and part on the players. There’s a good chance Pittsburgh didn’t have the depth or quality of ST players we had. As I also stated, they were injury riddled and couldn’t hold a 4th quarter lead. That had nothing to do with ST.
Of course it looks like they’re going to fire their OC, so …
Yeah, but the reason we had such great ST players is because April always specifically angled for those players and fought for them with his influence. No matter who we get in for coach at ST, we’re likely to take a tumble. You can’t hope to duplicate five straight years in the top 5 when you get rid of the coach who was responsible for it.
Again, what about losing a ST coach in any way helps us get other coaches at other positions?! Is Bill Cowher really going to disdain Buffalo because they won’t fire Bobby April? For that matter, what coach would? No. Buffalo panicked. We are either going to get Cowher or we won’t, and it won’t have anything to do with April. Nix didn’t think it out straight.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
by Dyl on Jan 5, 2010 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
Bobby April was fired by Cowher. So at one point, he wasn’t considered an elite talent. He was considered replaceable. To think that no one can replace April is somewhat foolish and we should all hope that the next ST coach (if it’s not him), does an even better job.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Johnny Unitas was cut by the Steelers
Belicheck was fired by the Browns. Those are just the elite players. Tons of great, good, and fair coaches and players suck for a while and get better. So I understand the “at one point” idea, but I don’t agree.
We’re not replacing the results April brought us. I’ll bet you a steak and a beer we don’t field five straight top 5 special teams units in the next five years.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
by Dyl on Jan 5, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
I’d rather take a top 5 defense and have a 20th ranked ST unit, than a top 5 special team unit and a 20th ranked defense (didn’t we have that this year?). But perhaps I’m crazy.
I'll take both.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
by Dyl on Jan 5, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but the reason we had such great ST players is because April always specifically angled for those players and fought for them with his influence.
Yes, but Dyl, what a few of us are saying is that’s one of the very reasons the offense and defense suffered. Many of the players were on the team not because they brought productivity or skill to the O or the D, but only to the ST. The offense and defense, IMO, did suffer through April’s influence for the ST, because of the players that were kept. Just an opinion, but I think it’s worth considering.
2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
I’m not saying I think Bobby April is a hindrance or a bad coach. Just saying that since he wasn’t named to the Interim position, in my mind it’s a foregone conclusion he will be gone, and growing the O and D first and foremost, rather than the ST first and foremost will be helpful to the team, if done right.
2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
I agree with you, and I think April had to go. That is to say I think he felt he had to go. The Bills provided him an out. I seriously doubt he wants to remain a ST coach forever, even an assistant coach. I bet his next move is one where he has a legitimate shot to take the reigns of something more prominent, even if he has to get in the door via ST.
Buffalo Rumblings Premiere League 2009 Champion
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am." --Michael Scott
by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 5, 2010 10:01 PM EST up reply actions
Jamaal Charles torched the crap out of the Steelers kick coverage too
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
April to Pittsburgh seems like a no-brainer
assuming there’s no hard feelings in the relationship.
There are already rumblings that Pittsburgh will be getting a new ST coach in addition to their offensive coaches. They definitely need an upgrade there….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Goodbye Bobby, thank you for your service....
… I hope you go somewhere where you can wear a ring.
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Jan 5, 2010 6:06 PM EST reply actions
Whoa Nellie!!!
Lot’s of references to April controlling draft picks because the players pick were good special team players—-What!!
Who has proof of this, it sounds like hear say. The Bills draft guru’s Guy & Modrak surely didn’t go into the draft cow tailing to what April wanted at the expense of the offense & defense. Players picked in the late rounds better be able to play special teams to make the team. April used what players he was given and helped them to become one of the best units in the NFL on a consistent basis.
Gone but not forgotten a very talented group:
Bill Polian—-likely the best GM in NFL history
John Butler—RIP
AJ Smith—-Chargers might make the SB
Rusty Jones—-one of the best S&C coaches in the NFL
Bobby April—-currently the best ST in the NFL
All these loses of talented people have put the Bills where they are today….When a team keeps losing talent eventually it shows up in the won-loss column!!!
.
"If you don't have good habits you have bad habits there are no in between habits"
When a team keeps losing talent eventually it shows up in the won-loss column!!!
Three words: New England Patriots
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by MattRichWarren on Jan 6, 2010 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
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