5 NFL coordinators poised to be first-time head coaches

The Buffalo Bills will lose a coordinator to a head-coaching gig in 2021, and it’s probably going to be offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. He is entering his third season as the Bills’ offensive coordinator. He has previously been an offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide (2018), the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), the Miami Dolphins (2011) and the Cleveland Browns (2009-10).

Simply put, Daboll is ready for a bigger opportunity than the one he has in Orchard Park. Under Daboll’s tutelage, Josh Allen has been one of the better quarterbacks in his NFL Draft class. It wasn’t easy, as he was incredibly raw coming out of Wyoming. Buffalo made the playoffs last season and is poised to win its first division title since Jim Kelly was the starter in the 1990s.

Daboll stems from several strong coaching trees. He has served under excellent head coaches the likes of Sean McDermott, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick in recent years. Daboll should have no issue assembling a great staff if he were to get the right head-coaching opportunity. Like Byron Leftwich of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Daboll will be getting a ton of interviews this winter.

What gives Daboll an edge over some first-time head-coaching candidates is his offensive philosophy is one that pairs nicely with top defensive-minded talent. Ball control with a few creative wrinkles sprinkled in allows a top-notch defense to formulate around it. This isn’t some pass-on-every-down Air Raid approach. Under Daboll’s guidance, an NFL team can win big.