Bills Coach Doug Marrone Opts Out
7:43pm: The Bills have yet to decide on whether they’ll bring in a football czar and who it might be, whether it’s Polian or Mike Holmgren or someone else, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Marrone could have worked out a lucrative extension with the Bills, but he was nervous about signing on without knowing who the top boss would be (link).
5:39pm: The Bills will hire Bill Polian as their team president, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The move may not be announced until January, however, due to his other commitments. Polian currently serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN and presumably will tie up some loose ends in Bristol.
5:38pm: Bills owner Terry Pegula has issued a statement on Marrone’s departure:
“Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach. “We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives. We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”
5:29pm: Bills coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Marrone, surprisingly, gets to pocket his 2015 salary even though he’s headed elsewhere (link).
Marrone asked the Pegula family for an extension and was rebuffed, leading to his exit, according to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). Marrone also asked for extensions for his assistant coaches and was shut down. While he didn’t get what he wanted, the former Syracuse coach did get to walk away with his full $4MM paycheck thanks to a very advantageous contract clause negotiated by agent Jimmy Sexton.
Marrone is now a free agent at a time when several NFL teams are looking for new head coaches. The Jets will have strong interest in him, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Bills will have their eye on Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The Jets already satisfied the Rooney Rule by interviewing Anthony Lynn earlier today, so they could theoretically hire Marrone right away.
The Bills went 9-7 this year under Marrone – their first winning season since 2004 – and 6-10 in 2013. In total, he has a 15-17 record as an NFL coach. Marrone, of course, first made a name for himself as the head coach at Syracuse, where he guided the lowly Orange to a 25-25 mark and two bowl appearances over the course of four seasons. While his win-loss totals may not be the prettiest, Marrone found success with a very hard-nosed defense this past season and should draw widespread interest from around the NFL. One has to imagine that he could already have his next opportunity lined up.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fallout From Doug Marrone Opt Out
Earlier today Doug Marrone shocked many when he opted out of his contract with the Bills. Marrone’s deal included an opt out that still grants him his $4MM salary for 2015 and allows him to pursue other head coaching jobs immediately. The latest on the league’s newest coaching candidate..
- A simple stop-gap approach for the Bills would be to elevate defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who did a great job with the defense in 2014, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
- If Bill Polian will be part of the future, some expect the Bills to pursue Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich. “Bill loves him,” a source with knowledge of the Polian-Reich relationship told Florio.
- The Jets are expected to schedule an interview with Marrone, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
- Marrone was not a fan of Geno Smith at all in 2013, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Former GM Buddy Nix, who remains on the Bills’ staff, has a contract that expires next month and he will not be asked back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) spoke with one Jets source who wasn’t enthused about the possibility of the team hiring Marrone. “You got rid of Rex Ryan for this?,” the source rhetorically asked.
- Joe Buscaglia of WGR (on Twitter) credits the team for not feeling beholden to Marrone just for giving them a winning season.
- Bills players took to Twitter to express their dissatisfaction with Marrone, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes.
Chargers GM Talks Rivers, RBs, Offseason
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco addressed reporters in an end-of-season press conference today, and Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune passed along several of the GM’s more notable comments. Here are the highlights from the presser, with all links headed to Gehlken’s Twitter account:
- Philip Rivers is under contract for one more year, and the Chargers will “definitely” work to extend his contract this offseason, said Telesco, adding that he thinks the quarterback has several good years left in him, and he wants Rivers to finish his career in San Diego. Still, Telesco admitted that he has to keep an eye on “what’s next” at the QB position, which may mean adding a young player to develop in the not-so-distant future.
- Telesco is pleased with the culture and the foundation in place in San Diego, and thinks the next step is for the Chargers to continue developing their current young players and adding complementary pieces — no overhaul of any kind is necessary.
- Discussing San Diego’s running backs, Telesco said Donald Brown – who is under contract for 2015 – will be back and that the front office knows what Ryan Mathews means the team. Mathews is a free agent, and the GM appreciates having time to make a decision on him.
- Telesco also acknowledged that the running game must improve, which involves upgrading the offensive line as well.
- The Chargers have “a number” of contracts to extend or restructure heading into the offseason, according to Telesco, though he didn’t identify specific deals.
- The interest Frank Reich is receiving as a head coaching candidate doesn’t surprise Telesco, but the GM “selfishly” wants the offensive coordinator to remain in San Diego. The club won’t stop Reich from pursuing head coaching opportunities.
- Telesco is comfortable with D.J. Fluker at right tackle moving forward.
Volin’s Latest: McDaniels, 49ers, Reich, Jets
As reports continue to trickle in on the NFL’s five head coaching openings, as well as the GM vacancies in Chicago and New York, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explores the rumor mill and passes along a handful of interesting tidbits in his latest column. Here are the highlights:
- One league source tells Volin that without Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh in the mix for any of the current openings, there’s a “dearth of superstar candidates.” The source expects most teams to hire candidates with previous head coaching experience.
- Volin hears from one source the Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be “very careful” about which opportunities he pursues. The source predicts that the Falcons will be the only club McDaniels seriously considers, given his relationship with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the presence of a solid, risk-free quarterback in Matt Ryan.
- An internal promotion remains a strong possibility for the 49ers, despite the fact that the team is reaching out to several outside candidates. Volin hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a likelier candidate than defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
- According to Volin, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is the “most serious” candidate for the Jets‘ head coaching vacancy in the early stages of that search. Reich is also expected to be a top candidate for the Bills if Doug Marrone decides to opt out of his contract, though Marrone is considered likely to stay in Buffalo.
- One source predicts to Volin that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin isn’t yet completely safe, in spite of owner Stephen Ross‘ comments earlier this month.
- Former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland could get a few interviews this offseason, but he has nothing lined up at the moment, says Volin.
Coach Rumors: Raiders, Jets, Ryan, Holmgren
Black Monday wasn’t quite as eventful around the NFL in 2014 as it has been in some recent years, with only three head coaches being handed their walking papers. Still, with the Raiders on the lookout for a more permanent head coach, and the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh agreeing to part ways, that makes a total of five teams currently conducting coaching searches. That should make for an interesting few weeks, as those clubs – the Jets, Falcons, Bears, Raiders, and Niners – eye several of the same candidates. Here are the latest coaching-related rumblings from across the league:
- Current 49ers assistant and former Browns and Jets head coach Eric Mangini is scheduled to interview with the Raiders for the club’s head coaching job, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). In his five seasons in New York and Cleveland, Mangini recorded a 33-47 overall record, earning one playoff berth with the Jets. In addition to Mangini, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will also interview for the Raiders’ position, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
- Garafolo has more details on the Raiders‘ head coaching hunt, reporting that the team actually offered more money to Harbaugh than the University of Michigan did, extending a proposal that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid head coach (Twitter video link).
- In addition to setting up an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Jets have also requested permission to speak to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, and Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- While former Jets head coach Rex Ryan intends to explore potential head coaching opportunities, he’s meeting with ESPN executives today for a possible role with the network, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). It sounds as if TV would be Ryan’s second choice after a head coaching job, but it may depend on what opportunities are available for him.
- Speaking to Dave Mahler of KJR in Seattle (Twitter link), former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said he’s “gotten a couple of inquiries” from teams searching for a head coach, though he didn’t identify the clubs. According to Mahler (via Twitter), Holmgren said he’s “mulling things over” when it comes to current coaching opportunities.
- The Buccaneers currently have an opening at offensive coordinator, and the team is interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Atlanta has kept Koetter on board for now, after firing head coach Mike Smith yesterday, but if the team parts ways with its OC, the Bucs will almost certainly be in touch.