As reported by Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the Bills interviewed Panthers quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey for their opening at the offensive coordinator position.
Dorsey, 35, has been working with the Panthers since 2011, first as a pro scout and for the last four seasons as quarterbacks coach. In that same time span, Bills head coach Sean McDermott served as Carolina’s defensive coordinator. Considering how long the two have been colleagues, it’s unlikely that McDermott would approach Dorsey about an opening if he didn’t think that Dorsey was ready for the task.
Before joining the coaching ranks, Dorsey spent six seasons in the NFL, mostly as a backup with the 49ers and Browns. He started 13 games over five seasons, going 2-11 and posting a QB rating of 55.2 with eight touchdowns against 18 interceptions.
Prior to that, however, Dorsey was one of the more successful college quarterbacks of the modern era, leading the University of Miami to a 38-2 record between 1999 and 2002. The Hurricanes won the 2001 BCS National Championship, and almost won a second the following year before losing a classic Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State.
While Dorsey did interview, there’s no news of a hire at the moment. McDermott is believed to be targeting candidates whose teams are still active in the playoffs, notably Packers quarterbacks coach (and former Bills quarterback) Alex Van Pelt. Still, as I said earlier, McDermott knows Dorsey pretty well. If he didn’t think Dorsey was up to the task, he probably wouldn’t have bothered to interview him. It’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.