Make or Break: The Story of the 2009 Buffalo Bills Coaching Staff

7-9 is starting to sound very familiar in Buffalo. Following three consecutive seasons with the aforementioned record, the entire Bills coaching staff is on the hotseat.

Following a 5-1 start last season, head coach Dick Jauron was rumored to have been awarded a three year contract extension. While not officially announced by the team until late in the year, the extension was granted far too prematurely.

The Bills were terrible down the stretch and finished the season with the all-too-familiar record of 7-9. Under most circumstances, Jauron would have been relieved of his duties for failing to improve in his three seasons with the team.

The premature and half-baked idea of signing Jauron to an extension after only six games has forced the Bills to keep Jauron at the helm, as it would be too costly for the team to eat the entire contract. That being said, this year is Jauron’s last chance to make the playoffs as a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Anything less will be a cause for dismissal.

Having been a head coach in Chicago and Detroit prior to his time with the Bills, Jauron experienced really only one season of success. He won AP Coach of the Year in 2001 following a 13-3 season with the Bears. Other than that, Jauron has been just average.

Jauron is a nice guy and very well liked by his players. Are these the best qualities for a head football coach? Take Bill Parcells for example. His players respect and fear him to a certain extent. Jauron needs to be far more vocal and stern with this current crop of young Bills or he will lose command of the team.

On game day, some of Jauron’s decisions have been questionable at best. Clock management is the first thing that comes to mind. Think back to the Jets game in the Meadowlands last season and you will cringe at the thought of JP Losman rolling out and being stripped late in the game.

For all his faults, Jauron does deserve one more chance to take this team to the next level. He and his coaching staff are capable of making the current Bills a contender. Let’s face it - if they don’t, they will all be gone by season’s end.

Below is a look at some of the coaching staff, highlighting key members in play calling and decision making:


Bobby April - Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Coach April is the only coach in the Bills staff whose job should be safe no matter the outcome of the season. April’s special teams have been ranked near or at the top of the league year in and year out. He was voted Special Teams Coach of the Year in 2009, an award voted upon by other coaches throughout the league.


Perry Fewell - Defensive Coordinator
Having never worked as a defensive coordinator before his time with the Bills, Fewell has done an adequate job with the players he has. Having been a defensive backs coach with the Jaguars (under defensive coordinator Dick Jauron) and Bears, Fewell’s defense ranked 13th in passing yards allowed per game in 2008.

With the development of younger players and new draft picks, Fewell hopes to improve this ranking while at the same time, fixing the 22nd ranked rushing defense.


Turk Schonert - Offensive Coordinator
With the departure of Steve Fairchild, Schonert was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2008 following a stint as the team’s Quarterbacks Coach. Schonert brings 10 years of playing experience at the QB position. He has done a good job mentoring Trent Edwards, but both need to show vast improvement this season. 

Schonert is said to be trying to implement the no-huddle offense which should prove to be difficult with Buffalo’s roster of young players. If successful, the offense should be very difficult to stop. Other than that, Schonert needs to eliminate the predictability from his play calling.

Any way you look at it, 2009 is a make or break year for these men.