The Buffalo Bills weren’t without an offensive coordinator for very long.
Just two days after parting ways with Rick Dennison, the team announced that they hired Brian Daboll to the same position. Daboll comes to Buffalo from the collegiate ranks, having served as Alabama offensive coordinator in 2017. His lone season with the Crimson Tide saw them take home their fifth national title under current head coach Nick Saban.
We have hired Brian Daboll as our Offensive Coordinator.
More about Daboll's coaching career: https://t.co/pcyLee9mS4 pic.twitter.com/TnBhVsnF8g
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 14, 2018
Buffalo Bills Name Brian Daboll Offensive Coordinator
Prior to his time in Tuscaloosa, Daboll spent 17 years as an assistant in the NFL. It included 11 with the New England Patriots where he served in varying capacities, more recently as tight ends coach from 2014-2016. All five of the Patriots Super Bowl titles under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came with Daboll on the coaching staff.
In between his two stints with the Pats, Daboll spent time as an offensive coordinator for three NFL teams. It began with the Cleveland Browns for two seasons (2009-10), followed by a season apiece with the Miami Dolphins (2012) and Kansas City Chiefs (2013).
Daboll and Bills head coach Sean McDermott have a bit of familiarity with one another. The two were at William and Mary for one season back in 1997. Back then, Daboll was on the coaching staff while McDermott was in his senior season with the Tribe.
He also has Western New York connections. Born in Welland, Ontario, Daboll attended St. Francis High School in the Buffalo area where he lettered in football. He also played collegiately at the University of Rochester.
“We are excited to hire Brian as our offensive coordinator and welcome him back to Western New York,” McDermott said in a team release. “I know how much this area means to him. He is a good coach and a good teacher and has been a part of winning programs in the NFL and in college.”
A Winning Track Record
Daboll is obviously coming off a fantastic year. Last February, he won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Patriots staff and is less than a week removed from a national title triumph with Bama. In both instances, his teams erased sizable second half deficits en route to victory. McDermott is banking on that momentum carrying over to Buffalo as they look to build on their first playoff appearance in 17 seasons. Though their quarterback situation is up in the air, especially if they move on from Tyrod Taylor, the hiring of Daboll should inspire continued optimism regarding the future of this franchise.
