Buffalo Bills and Chan Gailey: Why It Is a Good Fit

The Buffalo Bills have found their leader for the 2010's, and the response is underwhelming. Chan Gailey? Really? I know Bills fans are not feeling a positive vibe, so I hope to provide some context with this decision to make it clearer on why Chan Gailey was the best candidate for the Bills head coaching job.

10. Gailey has head coaching experience working for an over-controlling, coach-killing owner

It’s tough to gain real-world head coaching experience in a situation where your decision making is minimized by micromanaging upper management. Chan Gailey has worked under Jerry Jones, and saw first-hand what it was like to lose control the longer he was in the job. Wade Phillips was in Buffalo under Wilson and is now working for Jones in Dallas, and won a playoff game this year. Consider the Gailey hiring a coaching trade, from 12 years ago.

9. Chan Gailey knows football

He has a 35 year career in football in both the college and pro ranks. He’s coached positions, been a coordinator and has been a head coach. His background is well rounded (just like Jauron). His knowledge of football is a change of pace from Russ Brandon. The former GM, Brandon of course got a promotion after his terrible job managing the team the last few years. Get your Bills season tickets while they are hot. I was almost expecting the Bills to hire Barry Melrose.

8. Leslie Frazier, Jim Harbaugh, Russ Grimm, or any other strong candidate has never coached a winning team in a bowl on blue AstroTurf

Not only did Gailey lead his Yellow Jackets to victory in the Humanitarian Bowl, but he led them to the largest victory in the storied 13 year history of the bowl. 52-10. Eat your heart out Brian Schottenheimer. Naysayers might try to point out that Gailey didn’t have a career winning record in the Humanitarian Bowl, but Gailey was fired before the 2007 game and Paul Johnson’s blood is on that Fresno State loss. Paint the turf blue, Buffalo.

7. Gailey can get production out of average quarterbacks

One of the main selling points about Gailey is that he gets results out of lesser rated quarterbacks. His work with Jay Fiedler, Mike Tomczak and Jim Harbaugh shows that he can create an offense with safe average leaders. He was even able to get Tyler Thigpen to perform in 2008 in Kansas City. This talent is useful because Buffalo is guaranteed to have an average or below average quarterback going into next season. Who needs a franchise quarterback when you have Ryan Fitzpatrick?

6. Gailey infuses some youth into the head coaching position

Although the trend for a lot of teams has been to look at younger coaches, age doesn’t appear to be that important for coaching. Two of the four finalists for head coach are in their 50’s. Just because Gailey, a late 50’s retread is replacing an unsuccessful late 50’s retread doesn’t mean that the Bills aren’t getting younger at head coach. Throw logic out for a second and realize that Jauron is now 59. Age is just a number, just ask Nosferatu Wilson. 58 seems like a punk kid hipster to a 91 year old.

5. Gailey has never won a playoff game as a head coach

As a team, you want a shared goal, and since the Bills haven’t won a playoff game in 16 years, nobody on the team has won a playoff game as a Bill. Gailey hasn’t won any playoff games either, so he can relate to the players and their misery. Mike Shanahan will go to Washington and brag about the Super Bowls he won and blah blah blah and the players will tune him out. Gailey is still seeking revenge for Cowboys and Birmingham Fire playoff losses. Of course Jauron didn’t have any head coaching playoff victories either before he was hired for the Bills. I’m sensing a trend.

4. Gailey brings no hope to Bills fans

Hope is a four letter word for Bills fans, and most of America at this point (For Browns fans, yes I realize hope is also a four letter word in the dictionary). Bills fans feel the greatest pain when they crazily have expectations for success.

2008 was so painful because the team started 5-1. 2009 was much easier to stomach because they fell apart much sooner, even if 10-6 won the division and 9-7 might have meant an AFC Championship appearance. A coach like Cowher or even Frazier would have led to expectations of success, which are unfair and unrealistic while Ralph Wilson steals oxygen.

Buffalo fans work best when they are surprised positively. The Sabres were expected to finish between eighth and 12th this year. Right now, they’re No. 1 in the East. It’s fun to watch. Sadly, hope will follow. The Bills are expected to stink, and Gailey will only feed into that feeling. He brings no excitement or hope, just like Jauron. I’m getting a headache.

3.  The Bills had to sign Gailey because they couldn’t wait any longer

The head coaching market was too competitive, and the Bills had to pull the trigger quickly to get the guy they really wanted, after 7 people rejected them. Novices may point out that the Bills were the only team looking for a head coach and could have taken all of the time they needed to get the right guy.

They are missing the big picture. Teams are hiring new coordinators. East Carolina and Louisiana Tech need new coaches. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a vacancy. The Arena Football League is reforming and the UFL could expand in the future. The Bills can’t get the best coach if they have to go head-to-head against Grand Rapids, East Carolina or Winnipeg. Chan was the Man. I wonder if he was hired because his name is easy to rhyme. Can Chan rhymes also.

2. Chan’s salary

The Bills bragged about their willingness to break the bank to attract a top-tier head coach. Sadly, it was the piggy bank of a 4 year old. The money saved with Gailey’s salary will provide opportunities to spend more on other coaches, scouting, and even some extra dollars for a big name free agent.

Plus the fact that Gailey will be the offensive coordinator means even more money saved. If there was a way to type not being able to keep a straight face, I would do it here. Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder are tough to head coach for because they are willing to spend the resources but micromanage way too much.

Ralph Wilson doesn’t even provide the resources. Georgia Tech probably spent more. If getting fired right before the season as an offensive coordinator qualifies a person for a head coaching job the next season, Turk Schonert should be the No. 1 candidate for the next NFL opening. Why couldn’t NFL Films have created a series showing the interview process for this head coaching job?

1. Gailey said yes

I really expected the press conference to be set up where Gailey was reading off a piece of paper and masked gunmen were to the side making sure he read the hostage demands correctly. Jack Bauer's in New York, maybe he can board a quick Jet Blue flight and attempt to rescue Chan.

Just like milk left outside in the summer and an unflushed toilet, the longer the Bills job was out there, the more it stunk. Jim Harbaugh turned down an NFL gig to remain at a second-tier Pac-10 school. Rich Kotite and Mike Martz wouldn’t even interview for it. The Bills found the one guy so desperate for a head coaching job that he was willing to work under Ralph Wilson. For that, I can’t hate Chan Gailey. I wish him luck. He’s going to need it.