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Citing a difference in philosophy, Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone confirmed on Monday that wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard is no longer with the organization.
Hilliard, a former player with the New York Giants, joined Marrone's coaching staff last January after a one-year stint under Mike Shanahan with the Washington Redskins. Though he had no previous ties to Marrone, Hilliard had played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was a quality control assistant with that team.
Buffalo has invested heavily in its receiving corps over the last two years. They gave a five-year extension to Stevie Johnson, then spent three early draft picks on Robert Woods, T.J. Graham and Marquise Goodwin between the 2012 and 2013 drafts. Acknowledging that the Bills were fighting youth and injuries at quarterback, that group was not particularly productive, with none of the four surpassing 600 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Marrone would not confirm any other forthcoming coaching staff changes. He was asked in particular about special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, and without confirming that he'd return, Marrone talked at length about how the Bills needed to find more core specialists to work with.
