List of Buffalo Bills head coaches

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The entrance sign to the home of the Bills, Highmark Stadium (formerly New Era Field and Ralph Wilson Stadium) RalphWilsonStadiumsign.jpg
The entrance sign to the home of the Bills, Highmark Stadium (formerly New Era Field and Ralph Wilson Stadium)

The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo, New York metropolitan area. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills franchise was formed in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), before joining the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. [1]

Contents

There have been 19 head coaches for the Bills franchise. Buster Ramsey became the first head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 1960, serving for two seasons before being fired by Bills owner Ralph Wilson after the 1961 season. [2] In terms of tenure, Marv Levy has coached more games (182) and seasons (12) than any other coach in franchise history. He coached the Bills to four straight AFC Championships from 1990 to 1993, but failed to lead the team to a victory in the Super Bowl. One of Levy's predecessors, Lou Saban, who coached the team on two occasions, led the team to the victories in the AFL championship in 1964 and 1965. Three Bills coaches—Saban, Levy and Chuck Knox—have been named coach of the year by at least one major news organization. [3] Levy and Jim Ringo are the only Bills coaches to have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There have been six "interim" head coaches in Bills history. First, in 1968, head coach Joe Collier was fired two games into the season and replaced by Bills personnel director Harvey Johnson. [4] Johnson did not serve as head coach the following season. Then, five games into the 1976 season, Saban unexpectedly resigned as head coach. He was replaced by Ringo, the team's offensive line coach. [5] Ringo returned to coach the team again in the 1977 season. In October 1985, Kay Stephenson was fired and replaced by assistant head coach Hank Bullough. [5] Just over a year later, Bullough was himself fired and replaced by Marv Levy, who had previously served as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. [6] Levy would then serve as Bills head coach for the next 12 seasons. In 2016, Anthony Lynn replaced Rex Ryan for the final game of the season.

Following Levy's retirement, the Bills experienced limited success under a series of successive head coaches. Wade Phillips, the Bills defensive coordinator for the last three years under Levy, took over head coaching duties for the 1998 season. Phillips served as head coach for three seasons, making the playoffs in his first two (He was the last coach to lead the Bills to the playoffs until Sean McDermott became coach in 2017). [7] After Phillips' departure following the 2000 season, Gregg Williams was named head coach. [8] Williams served as coach for three seasons. At the end of the 2003 season, Williams' contract was not renewed. [9] Mike Mularkey was named as the new head coach for the 2004 season, [8] leading the Bills to their first winning season since 1999. The Bills experienced less success under Mularkey during 2005, and Mularkey resigned as head coach at the completion of the 2005 season. [9] The Bills then named Dick Jauron as their head coach for the 2006 season. [8] Jauron was the first coach since Phillips' dismissal with prior head coaching experience, having previously served as head coach of the Chicago Bears and interim head coach of the Detroit Lions. Jauron coached the Bills to three consecutive 7–9 seasons before being fired on November 17, 2009, nine games into the 2009 season. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell was named as the interim head coach, going 3-4 to finish out the season before all of the Bills coaching staff was fired on January 4, 2010. On January 19, 2010, the Bills named Chan Gailey as their next head coach; Gailey was fired on December 31, 2012. [10] In January 2013, Doug Marrone was appointed. [11] He exercised his option to leave in January 2015 following the change of ownership to Kim and Terrence Pegula and was replaced by Rex Ryan. [12] Rex Ryan was fired from the team on December 27, 2016. [13] Anthony Lynn served as interim head coach until January 11, when the team hired Sean McDermott to serve in the role on a permanent basis. [14]

Key

#Number of coaches [A]
GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
TTies
Win% Winning percentage [B]
†Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
‡Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
*Spent entire AFL/NFL head coaching career with the Bills
**Two coaching tenures for Lou Saban
^Two coaching tenures for Harvey Johnson

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct as of end of the 2023 NFL season.
#ImageNameTerm [N 1] Regular seasonPlayoffsAccomplishmentsRef.
YrsFirstLastGCWLTWin%GCWL
1 Buster Ramsey - 1950 Bowman.jpg Buster Ramsey *2 1960 1961 2811161.411— [15]
2 Lou Saban 4 1962 1965 5636173.6703212 AFL Championships (1964, 1965)
3 AFL playoff berths
2 UPI AFL Coach of the Year Awards (1964, 1965)		 [16]
3 Joe Collier *3 1966 1968 [N 2] 3013161.4501011 AFL playoff berth [17]
4 Harvey Johnson 1 1968 [N 2] 121101.125— [18]
5 John Rauch - 1950 Bowman.jpg John Rauch 2 1969 1970 287201.268— [19]
– Harvey Johnson 1 1971 141130.071— [18]
– Lou Saban 5 1972 1976 [N 3] 6132281.5331011 Playoff berth [16]
6 Jim Ringo ‡2 1976 [N 3] 1977 233200.130— [20]
7 Chuck Knox 5 1978 1982 7337360.5073121 AFC East Championship (1980)
2 Playoff berths
1 AP NFL Coach of the Year Award (1980)
1 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year Award (1980)
1 Pro Football Weekly NFL Coach of the Year Award (1980)		 [21]
8 Kay Stephenson *3 1983 1985 [N 4] 3610260.278— [22]
9 Hank Bullough 2 1985 [N 4] 1986 [N 5] 214170.190— [23]
10 Marv Levy (cropped).jpg Marv Levy †12 1986 [N 5] 1997 182112700.61519118Inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame (2001)
4 AFC Championships (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)
6 AFC East Championships (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995)
8 Playoff berths
1 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year Award (1988)
2 UPI NFL Coach of the Year Awards (1988, 1993)		 [24]
11 Wade Phillips at the Redneck Country Club, June 21, 2017 MG 9204 (34677026263).jpg Wade Phillips 3 1998 2000 4829190.6042022 Playoff berths [25]
12 Gregg Williams (cropped).jpg Gregg Williams 3 2001 2003 4817310.354— [26]
13 Mike Mularkey 2012.jpg Mike Mularkey 2 2004 2005 3214180.438— [27]
14 Dick Jauron 4 2006 2009 [N 6] 5724330.421— [28]
15 Perry Fewell 1 2009 [N 6] 7340.429— [29]
16 Chan Gailey 3 2010 2012 4816320.333— [30]
17 Doug Marrone in Fort Drum jersey (cropped).jpg Doug Marrone 2 2013 2014 3215170.469— [31]
18 Rex Ryan with the Bills.jpg Rex Ryan 2 2015 2016 [N 7] 3115160.484— [32]
19 Anthony Lynn total access (cropped).jpg Anthony Lynn 1 2016 [N 7] 1010.000— [33]
20 Sean McDermott 2019 (49019633667) (cropped).jpg Sean McDermott *7 2017 2023 11473410.64011564 AFC East Championships (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
6 Playoff berths 		[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Each year is linked to an article about that particular NFL season.
  2. 1 2 The Bills fired coach Joe Collier after an 0–2 start in 1968. Defensive backfield coach Harvey Johnson was promoted to interim head coach, where he went 1–10–1 to finish the year.
  3. 1 2 Bills head coach Lou Saban resigned after the fifth game of the season, with the Bills struggling at 2–3. Offensive line coach Jim Ringo took over, but would not win a game for the rest of the year.
  4. 1 2 Head coach Kay Stephenson was fired after an 0–4 start. Defensive coordinator Hank Bullough took over, going 2–10 for the remainder of the season.
  5. 1 2 After a 6-point Week Nine loss to Tampa Bay, the Bills fired coach Hank Bullough, and hired former Kansas City coach Marv Levy to replace him.
  6. 1 2 Dick Jauron was fired on November 17 after a 3–6 start and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.
  7. 1 2 After a 34–31 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 eliminated the Bills from playoff contention for a 17th season in a row, Rex Ryan was fired. Anthony Lynn lead the team as interim head coach in final match.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mularkey</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Michael Rene Mularkey is a former American football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and lasted until the final round of cuts. Mularkey then signed with the Minnesota Vikings with whom he played for six seasons before playing another three with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marv Levy</span> American gridiron football coach and executive (born 1925)

Marvin Daniel Levy is an American former football coach and executive who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for seventeen seasons. He spent most of his head coaching career with the Buffalo Bills, leading them from 1986 to 1997. Levy's first head coaching position was with the Montreal Alouettes of Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1973 to 1977, where he won two Grey Cup titles.

Chris Villarrial is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He played professionally as an offensive guard with the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

Richard Manuel Jauron is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, five with the Detroit Lions and three with the Cincinnati Bengals. Jauron served as the head coach the Chicago Bears from 1999 to 2003 and the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. He was also the interim head coach for the Lions for the final five games of the 2005 season. Jauron was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13–3 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Posluszny</span> American football player (born 1984)

Paul Michael Posluszny is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors twice, and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. After four years in Buffalo, Posluszny spent the remainder of his career with the Jaguars and earned Pro Bowl honors during the 2013 season.

Eric Studesville is an American football coach who is the associate head coach and running backs coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Studesville is known as the former run game coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and interim head coach of the Denver Broncos, a position he held for four weeks in December 2010. He replaced Josh McDaniels after 12 games in the 2010 NFL season, after which he resumed his primary role as running backs coach under head coaches John Fox, Gary Kubiak, and Vance Joseph from 2011–2017. He was the first African American head coach in Broncos history, albeit on an interim basis. Studesville has been to the Super Bowl twice, both as a member of the Broncos personnel, losing in 2014 and winning in 2016.

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "NFL History by Decade: 1961–1970". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  2. ↑ "The Month of January In Bills History". Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original on 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  3. ↑ Hickok, Ralph (2008-04-17). "NFL Coach of the Year Award". Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  4. ↑ "The Month of September In Bills History". Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  5. 1 2 "The Month of October In Bills History". Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  6. ↑ "The Month of November In Bills History". Buffalo Bills. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  7. ↑ "Dallas Cowboys Head Coach". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  8. 1 2 3 "Buffalo Bills History". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  9. 1 2 "Fewell picked to replace Jauron as Bills coach". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  10. ↑ "Chan Gailey relieved of duties as head coach". Buffalo Bills . NFL Enterprises LLC. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  11. ↑ Garafolo, Mike (2013-01-06). "Bills hire Syracuse's Doug Marrone". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Rex Ryan named Buffalo Bills head coach". Buffalo Bills. 2015-01-12. Archived from the original on 2015-01-15. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "Bills Announce Coaching Changes". Buffalo Bills. Retrieved 2016-12-27.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Buffalo Bills agree to hire Sean McDermott". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  15. ↑ "Buster Ramsey Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  16. 1 2 "Lou Saban Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Joe Collier Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  18. 1 2 "Harvey Johnson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  19. ↑ "John Rauch Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Jim Ringo Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Chuck Knox Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Kay Stephenson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Hank Bullough Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Marv Levy Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Wade Phillips Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Gregg Williams Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Mike Mularkey Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Dick Jauron Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Perry Fewell Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  30. ↑ "Chan Gailey Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Doug Marrone Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Rex Ryan Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Anthony Lynn Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Sean McDermott Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 5, 2024.

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