5 replacements for Rex Ryan with Buffalo Bills
By John Buhler
The Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Rex Ryan, meaning it’s time to find a head coach who can return the team to the postseason for the first time since 1999.
It was only a matter of time, but the Buffalo Bills are moving on from head coach Rex Ryan. The announcement was made on Tuesday following another crushing loss by the Bills in which they blew a lead to the Miami Dolphins.
Ryan is a great players coach and defensive mind. However, his desire to win the press conference on Thursday instead of the game on Sunday has worn out the Pegula Family in Western New York. Buffalo continues to be a defense-first team with head coach that doesn’t seem to care about the offensive side of the ball.
The Bills haven’t been to the playoffs since the infamous ‘Music City Miracle’ game, which means the next guy to take this job has a mighty task ahead.
Greg Schiano may decide to stay in Columbus for at least the 2017 NCAA season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, but one has to believe that the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a head coach again one day soon, college or pro.
Schiano had been out of football the last two years after getting fired by the Buccaneers at the end of the 2013 NFL season. He had only been in Tampa Bay for two years, but was arguably the greatest head coach in Rutgers Scarlet Knights football history before leaving for the NFL.
It was strange to not see Schiano get a head coaching gig in college for the 2017 season. From the looks of it, he’s okay with being Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator for another season in Columbus. He’ll be the full-time defensive coordinator there now that Luke Fickell to the head coaching job with the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Schiano would be an interesting fit with the Bills. He can win with defense and is a great motivator of players. That could translate well in Western New York with his coaching style. The problem is that he may not be able to attract the right offensive personnel in his would-be coaching staff to get Buffalo over the hump and into the AFC Playoffs. Schiano would bring all the best qualities of Ryan without the constant press conference headaches.