Paul Hamilton of WGR 550, citing a league source, reports that former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick has begun assembling a coaching staff "to come to Buffalo."
Hamilton notes that either Billick is already certain that he'll be Buffalo's next head coach, or he's making calls in the event that he gets the nod once the Bills complete their interviewing process.
We're inclined to believe the latter for now. Though ESPN's Adam Schefter is hearing that Bill Cowher isn't likely to coach in 2010, Cowher himself hasn't made any public proclamations to confirm or deny those rumors. Perry Fewell, relieved of his duties earlier today, will not officially interview for the head coaching job until later this evening, according to The Buffalo News. No fewer than nine coaches - including Fewell, Cowher and Billick, as well as Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Schottenheimer, Ron Rivera, Sean McDermott, Russ Grimm and Leslie Frazier - have been reliably linked to the opening.
Coaches in the running for vacancies typically go into the interview with a potential coaching staff in mind, so if this report is indicative of anything, it's that Billick is a candidate somewhere. He's been linked to Buffalo in previous reports.
GM Buddy Nix has motivation and incentive to wrap up his head coaching search quickly, but he has no incentive to make rash, decisive moves on any coach besides Cowher. Buffalo may be one of only two or three legitimate coaching openings league-wide, so if Cowher does end up passing, Nix will have some time to play with so that he can get serious about one or two guys. But if Hamilton's report is accurate - and we've no reason to believe it isn't - Billick, 55, appears to be a top candidate for the job.
Keep track of all of the stories surrounding the Bills' coaching search here.