The Buffalo Bills stunned the football world on Monday morning by firing Sean McDermott, one of the most successful coaches in franchise history, hoping to raise their playoff ceiling for the rest of quarterback Josh Allen’s prime.
The Bills took a major risk in firing McDermott, while simultaneously promoting general manager Brandon Beane to a loftier role, despite his questionable season, at best.
It will be challenging to get much better results than McDermott’s, considering he led the Bills to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons in charge. The Bills went to the postseason in each of the last seven seasons and made it to the AFC divisional round six straight years before he was let go by the team.
Regardless of all of it, the Bills have an opening, and because of Allen, the Bills now have the most highly coveted head coaching job in the NFL.
As the Bills go through their first coaching search since the end of the 2016 season, they’ll have plenty to ponder. They could be leaning toward an offensive-minded head coach to pair with Allen, considering McDermott’s background in defense.
While they huddle up to figure out their path forward, who might the Bills consider in one of the most important decisions in Buffalo sports history?
Here are some names and backgrounds to monitor in the coming days and weeks.
Joe Brady, Bills offensive coordinator
One person boasts the advantage of recent history with Allen, and it’s Brady. Brady has been the Bills’ offensive coordinator since taking over for Ken Dorsey near the end of the 2023 season, and he enjoyed a successful 2024 season. During 2025, the offense was not the consistent unit the Bills were hoping for, and Brady took some criticism from the fan base about how he called games. Regardless of how 2025 went, Brady has received interest from other teams looking for a head coach. The plus side to promoting Brady would be his familiarity with Allen and keeping things somewhat the same, but still different from where they were with McDermott. On the negative side, you have to wonder if Brady’s performance in 2025 makes him worthy of being a head coach, and whether keeping things too similar to last season isn’t just asking for trouble. Either way, Brady will likely be on their list.
Brian Daboll, former Giants head coach
Although this could be somewhat of a tough sell given Daboll’s track record as head coach with the Giants, there is no doubt that Allen loves him and became the quarterback he is today thanks in large part to him. The former Bills offensive coordinator understood what Allen needed from a playcalling perspective, and his unique game plans consistently helped set up Allen for success. One of the reasons McDermott endeared himself to the fan base over the years was how much he took to the city and region. He became a Buffalonian, and had a keen awareness of feeling what the fans felt. Of all the candidates, Daboll, who grew up in the Buffalo area and went to high school 10 minutes from the stadium, would be an easy sell. For all of those reasons, Daboll, despite being fired by the Giants, could be a strong candidate to take over the head coaching job or return to Buffalo in some capacity, possibly as another head coach’s offensive coordinator.
Davis Webb, Broncos pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Although Webb is inexperienced from a head coaching perspective, the buzz about him being one of the next big things in coaching is real. Webb, who turns 31 this month, has spent the last three seasons in Denver and has helped Bo Nix become a good quarterback capable of putting his team in the AFC Championship Game. Webb also has a longstanding relationship with Allen and many people in Buffalo. Webb spent three seasons on the practice squad in the same quarterback room as Allen from 2019 through 2021. If the Bills are looking for an offensive mind with fresh principles, who knows Allen well, and want to remove themselves from what they were in 2025, Webb is a very compelling option. Some combination of Webb and Daboll, who spent time together both in Buffalo and with the Giants in 2022, would be a very interesting pairing.
Klint Kubiak, Seahawks offensive coordinator
The work Kubiak has done with the Seahawks and Sam Darnold this season has been remarkable, and they’re one win away from the Super Bowl. Kubiak’s offensive principles and knowledge for attacking defenses with the help of pre-snap motion have put his offenses in a position to succeed. The Shanahan tree has had a lot of success throughout the NFL, and the Bills could dive headfirst into it with this hire. There is some synergy with the history of Kubiak’s father, Gary, who took over a stagnating Broncos team in 2015 and helped them win a Super Bowl.
Grant Udinski, Jaguars offensive coordinator
Udinski has generated some buzz with second interviews. A bright young offensive mind, he, along with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, helped take the Jaguars back to the playoffs. It’s been a quick rise for the ever-impressive Udinski, who came through Kevin O’Connell’s coaching staff and only topped out as assistant offensive coordinator before the Jaguars swooped in to make him their offensive coordinator last season. He understands the modern game and how to put pressure on defenses, though it remains a question as to how someone so young will manage a locker room and the established culture in Buffalo. Udinski is only five months older than Allen. But, from a sheer talent perspective, Udinski is an intriguing name.
Nate Scheelhaase is one of the possible candidates who comes from a successful coaching system. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
Nate Scheelhaase, Rams pass game coordinator
If you thought Webb and Udinski were relatively inexperienced, Scheelhaase might have them beat. The 35-year-old has only two seasons of NFL experience, both of which were working for Sean McVay with the Rams. The young, offensive-minded assistants coming through McVay’s system are generally successful. Even without the experience, Scheelhaase would be an intriguing name for Allen’s future, given the track record McVay’s assistants have when promoted elsewhere.
Mike Tomlin, former Steelers head coach
Every indication is that Tomlin doesn’t want to coach in 2026, and even if he did, the team getting him would have to trade assets to acquire him. Giving up assets to replace McDermott with a defensive-minded coach who hasn’t had recent postseason success doesn’t scream like a direction the Bills will likely want to go. However, Tomlin is a big name, and if there was a job that would be compelling enough to change his mind, it might be the one in Buffalo with Allen. This is a never-say-never situation.
Mike McDaniel, former Dolphins head coach
There is no doubting two things about McDaniel. One, he has an elite offensive mind for today’s NFL, and nearly held on to his job in Miami because of it. And two, he has a lot of head coaching experience from his time with the Dolphins. The only trouble with that is the Bills mostly handled the Dolphins during McDaniel’s tenure, and switching from McDermott to him as head coach could be perceived as a step backward. If McDaniel were to be brought on as an offensive coordinator, that move would likely be widely accepted by the fan base, given how difficult the Dolphins were to defend.
Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator
The 44-year-old, longtime Patriots assistant has had success most everywhere he’s been, leading to a three-year stint as the Dolphins head coach from 2019 to 2021. Since leaving Miami, Flores spent one year in Pittsburgh, and then took over in Minnesota as the defensive play-caller, helping the Vikings to be one of the more difficult defenses to operate against in the NFL. While Flores might check the box of being a former head coach, his being a defensive-minded head coach might be a flaw this time around. But there’s no doubt that Flores is well-respected around the league, and should be at least considered for an interview.
Jesse Minter, Chargers defensive coordinator
Should the Bills not feel completely compelled to go for an offensive-minded head coach, Minter is an intriguing name to track. He spent four years as an assistant with the Ravens before taking the college route to Vanderbilt for one year, serving as Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan for two years, and then following Harbaugh back to the NFL. The 42-year-old has helped transform the Chargers into one of the more difficult defenses in the league. Young with fresh principles, Minter has drawn plenty of head-coaching buzz this offseason and even some second interviews.
Ejiro Evero, Panthers defensive coordinator
Even though Evero is with the Panthers now, there is no overlapping history with Beane. Beane could probably get a good review from Panthers GM Dan Morgan, who used to work in Buffalo, but that would be the extent of it. Evero helped the Panthers maximize their defense through some injuries and was a big reason that Carolina ultimately landed in the postseason. Evero spent five seasons with McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, and then went to the Denver Broncos for one season before landing in Carolina in 2023.
Anthony Weaver, Dolphins defensive coordinator
Once upon a time, Weaver was actually the defensive line coach for the Bills under then-head coach Doug Marrone in 2013. Since then, Weaver has gone on to have a lot of success in his subsequent stops as a positional coach. Weaver was named the Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2024 and helped turn that unit into a difficult one to play against this season, despite some of their roster deficiencies. Weaver doesn’t have the offensive-minded background the Bills may be looking for, but as a former player, he generates a lot of respect in the locker room.
Other names to keep an eye on: Former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
