A New Era in Buffalo: Bills Promote Joe Brady to Head Coach
The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday morning that they will promote Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady to Head Coach. The 36-year-old play caller moved from Quarterbacks Coach to interim Offensive Coordinator, to full-time Offensive Coordinator, and is now the 21st Head Coach in organization history.
It was quite the week for Bills fans with the firing of Sean McDermott after nine years at One Bills Drive and the ensuing press conference fallout. Brady’s hiring comes after a week-long search and interview process. As expected, Bills fans did not appreciate the news when it was first announced. I am going to hold judgment on the hiring until the coordinators and staff positions are announced.
Let’s work through the search process, the decision, and what I would like to see from Joe Brady, and why I am optimistic about what this means moving forward.
The Search
I do believe Brandon Beane when he said this was a “100% open search”, with no frontrunner during the infamous press conference last week. The Bills organization was operating in a different world from their past head coaching searches. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, have made seven straight playoff appearances, won five consecutive division crowns (20-24), and are moving into a brand-new state-of-the-art stadium. That level of success and stability was not there in 2017 during the previous head coaching search.
They cast a wide net with the candidates they chose to interview. Joe Brady, Brian Daboll, and Lou Anarumo were the first to interview, with Brady on 1/21, and Daboll and Anarumo the following day. Buffalo was one of five teams that Brady interviewed with, getting second interviews with Baltimore and Las Vegas.
Buffalo followed these up with in-person interviews with Phillip Rivers, Anthony Weaver, Anthony Lynn, and Grant Udinski. Mike McDaniel was reported to have an interview scheduled, but withdrew before meeting with the team. Shortly after Rivers’ interview, he withdrew his name from the search. Buffalo’s final two interviews were virtual with Davis Webb and Nate Scheelhaase.
Due to the timing, Buffalo wasn’t able to schedule anything with Seattle OC Klint Kubiak, a hot name this coaching cycle. I, like most Bills fans, was hoping to see this happen, but NFL rules are in place, so it is what it is. I do think it would have been a dangerous play to wait until after the Super Bowl to have your first interview with a candidate and assume he would be better than those you have already met with, and that he would accept your offer.
Why Joe Brady?
I think I am in the minority of Bills fans as being ok with the promotion of Joe Brady to Head Coach. Nobody can sit here today and say that any of the candidates interviewed were slam dunk hires and better options than Brady. Every candidate, including Brady, had risks, and I feel confident that the organization chose the right guy to lead the Bills moving forward.
The CEO piece has been an interesting part of the news coverage of the hire. It’s reported that Brady nailed this piece of the interview, and that's important for multiple reasons. Yes, Brady is an offensive mind, and reports indicate he will continue calling plays as head coach. He also needs to keep the ship in order and maintain the stability and culture established over the last decade. There also seemed to be a disconnect towards the end of McDermott’s time as HC between him, the front office, and the training staff. Having a head coach who has a clear view of how they will operate their staff in collaboration with the rest of the organization is important for the team's success.
I like that Brady is familiar with the organization's culture and has played a key role in turning the offense around since taking over for Ken Dorsey in the 2023 season. Are there parts of the offense that I hope improve? Of course. I want Khalil Shakir’s talents to be used for more than just bubble screens. I want to see the running backs more involved in the passing game, and I want to see layers to the offense that keep defenses guessing on what plays are being called. These are all things that can be improved on an offense that is already very good and has the best player in the NFL at Quarterback.
Be Curious, Not Judgmental
Stealing a great line from Ted Lasso here, when I say, be curious, not judgmental. Ultimately, this is the biggest decision Brandon Beane has made since becoming the Buffalo Bills' General Manager. Selecting the Head Coach to lead the organization in the midst of your MVP quarterback’s prime is no small task.
I am not going to judge this hire at the moment. I am curious about how it will unfold over the coming weeks with the staff that Brady chooses and how the roster will look when the summer hits. The Bills made a decision they believe will get them to the Super Bowl. I choose to be optimistic.
Below are some interesting quotes from hiring announcements made the last time Buffalo hired a head coach. I’m not saying the Bills just hired the next offensive savant, but again, reserve judgment, and be curious.
2017 Hiring Cycle Flashbacks
“The NFL has nothing to do with being the friend or the buddy of the quarterback. You’ve got to coach them and work them hard with respect. But buddy? And this guy is a quarterback expert? An offensive expert? Wait a minute while I puke.”
“There are red flags, however. Shanahan’s previous stop in Cleveland ended bumpily, with Shanahan asking to leave after one season under contentious circumstances. He has successfully leveraged his offensive wizardry into a job that is expected to give him great power within a currently broken franchise. That power and responsibility is a lot to handle, considering San Francisco’s lack of a quarterback and sub-standard roster.”
“Lynn’s proven track record as a creative, productive run-game schemer (his Bills teams had the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack the past two seasons) puts him over the top as No. 1 for this exercise. If he can meld his ideas with Whisenhunt’s offense, the Chargers could take a playoff trip after moving north up the 405.”
