Getty Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talk before the two teams faced off last season.
Buffalo Bills fans have been dreading the day that offensive coordinator Brian Daboll leaves the organization. He, along with Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, have taken the Bills’ second-ranked offense into a new stratosphere this season.
That success has resulted in Daboll becoming one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the league as the 45-year-old has been connected to vacancies with the New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles. As of Sunday night, two of those three NFL teams have now hired their next head coach.
The Jets agreed to terms with former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh while the Chargers announced the hiring of former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley on Sunday following the Rams’ playoff loss the day before.
Although the Eagles are still out there looking for their new head coach, Bills fans should be ecstatic about the most recent news. Despite Philadelphia’s recent interest in Daboll, the feelings weren’t mutual according to Rob Maaddi, Eagles beat writer for the Associated Press.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Daboll was a favorite for the Chargers job on Saturday leading up to Buffalo’s AFC Divisional win over the Baltimore Ravens.
With plenty of weapons on the offensive side and a talented young quarterback in Justin Herbert, the Chargers could’ve been a perfect fit for an offensive-minded coach like Daboll. Plus, the third-year coordinator also played football alongside Chargers general manager Tom Telesco at St. Francis High School in Buffalo. In his report, Schefter noted that Daboll, who was two grades behind Telesco, was a hard-hitting safety and Telesco played wide receiver and cornerback.
Nevertheless, ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweeted late Sunday evening that sources close to Daboll believe “he’ll be the big name for head coach [openings] next year.”
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Bills Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier Also Drawing Interest
Daboll isn’t the only Bills coordinator who is drawing interest for an NFL head coaching position. On Sunday, Schefter also reported that Leslie Frazier was interviewing for the Texans’ opening, just one day after holding Baltimore’s No. 1 ranked rushing offense to just three points.
On Monday morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the NFL granted clubs permission to conduct virtual interviews this week with head-coaching candidates who are still in the playoffs. But, the employer club had to consent.
The NFL has granted clubs permission to conduct virtual interviews this week with head-coaching candidates who are still in the playoffs, provided the employer club consents, per source. Notable for the likes of Eric Bieniemy and Todd Bowles, who interviews with the #Eagles today
The rule change benefited clubs like Houston who are targeting coaches still in the playoff race, such as Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who is also set to interview with the Eagles.
The Houston Texans have completed interviews with Matt Eberflus, Leslie Frazier, David Culley and Eric Bieniemy for the position of Head Coach.
Bills Still Preparing for AFC Championship vs. Kansas City
The Bills’ coordinators still have important jobs to do this week as they prepare for No. 1 seeded Chiefs playing in their NFL-record third consecutive AFC Championship.
Fortunately for Buffalo, both Daboll and Frazier have reiterated their dedication to their current teams and staying focused on the task at hand, which is beating the next opponent in front of them.
“You have a tremendous challenge ahead of you. You better be focused.”
-Brian Daboll on staying focused with his name coming up in head coaching interviews
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