Doug Marrone opts out of contract, done as Buffalo Bills' coach

[Big Willie]

And that's why the Bills struggle as an organization. One step forward (team's improvement this year) and two steps back (new coach and play books).

 

[FRO]

Since La Confora is reporting it I will assume Polian will be joining the Jets instead.

Looks like I was right about La Confora being wrong:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/01/polians-return-to-bills-breaks-down-over-money/

Is the guy ever right about anything?

 

[BigRamFan]

4M for no work.... What a deal!

I'll do it for half of that!

 

[Irish]

Looks like I was right about La Confora being wrong:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/01/polians-return-to-bills-breaks-down-over-money/

Is the guy ever right about anything?

No. He was what they refer to in the industry as a "hack."

Or a doucheturd.

Or an asshole.

Really, you can take your pick.

 

[FRO]

No. He was what they refer to in the industry as a "hack."

Or a doucheturd.

Or an arsehole.

Really, you can take your pick.

It's to the point now I not only question everything he reports, I expect the exact opposite.

 

[den-the-coach]

The Third Reich to reign in Western, NY!
Reich emerges as strong candidate to be Bills’ next coach
Reich is a strong candidate to be the Bills’ next coach

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Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and Frank Reich, the man who backed him up during the team’s Super Bowl era, catch up before the start of the game against the San Diego Chargers earlier this year at Ralph Wilson Stadium. James P. McCoy/Buffalo News

By Vic Carucci | News Sports Reporter | @viccarucci

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Frank Reich has emerged as a strong candidate to become the next coach of the Bills, The Buffalo News has learned.

Other names have been mentioned prominently in NFL circles, including Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (who was head coach of the Detroit Lions before arriving in Buffalo before the 2014 season) and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

However, multiple NFL sources say Reich immediately became the Bills’ top target after Doug Marrone exercised his option Wednesday to leave his job as head coach with two seasons left on his contract.

Reich, 53, spent last season as the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, who ranked 18th in the NFL in total offense, 30th in rushing, and 10th in passing. He joined the Chargers in 2013 as their quarterbacks coach. That year, Rivers completed a team-record and NFL-best 69.5 percent of his passes for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns (second-most of his career) with only 11 interceptions. That gave him a career- and team-record-tying passer rating of 105.5.

Reich, whom the New York Jets have reportedly requested to interview for their head-coaching vacancy, built a strong reputation for himself throughout the league for helping to enhance the production of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

It’s also believed that Reich is the favorite pick of Bill Polian, who is widely speculated to take over the Bills’ football operations in the next month or so.

Polian and Reich have extremely strong ties. Polian was the Bills’ pro personnel director and then general manager during the 10 seasons (1985-1994) Reich was a quarterback on the team, spending most of his time as a backup to Jim Kelly. Reich is best known for leading the greatest comeback in NFL history when, with Kelly injured, he led the Bills from a 32-point deficit to a 41-38 wild-card playoff victory against the Houston Oilers on Jan. 3, 1993. When Polian left the Bills to become general manager of the Carolina Panthers, he signed Reich as a free agent in 1995 and he proceeded to throw the first touchdown pass in the history of the expansion franchise.

Reich also was an assistant coach for the Indianapolis Colts while Polian was their team president.

Since retiring from football, Reich has established himself as a top-flight NFL assistant.

In 2008, he was the Colts’ offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. Reich became their quarterbacks coach after Tony Dungy retired as head coach early in 2009 and Jim Caldwell, who had been the quarterbacks coach, took his place. Reich moved to receivers coach in 2011, but lost his job when Caldwell and the rest of the coaching staff were fired.

In 2012, Reich became the receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals. But at the end of that season, he was dismissed, along with head coach Ken Whisenhunt and the rest of the staff.

The following year, the Chargers hired Whisenhunt as their offensive coordinator and Reich became their quarterbacks coach. After the season, the Tennessee Titans hired Whisenhunt as their head coach, opening the door for Reich to be promoted to offensive coordinator.

“I think Frank, in his first year, did a very good job,” Chargers GM Tom Telesco, who worked for Polian in Indianapolis, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “He’s smart. He’s detailed. He’s prepared for this for a long time.

“He’s a great teacher, a great communicator, and he can really handle a room as far as handling the offense. ... I’m not surprised that some teams would have interest in him.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/b...ong-candidate-to-be-bills-next-coach-20141231
email: vcarucci@buffnews.com

 

[dieterbrock]

The Third Reich to reign in Western, NY!
Reich emerges as strong candidate to be Bills’ next coach
Reich is a strong candidate to be the Bills’ next coach

Well, he'd instantly be the best QB on the team. Maybe he'll be a player/coach??? Lol

 

[Legatron4]

The players and fans are PISSED here in the B-lo. First winning season since 2005 and he bolts out the door cause he doesn't wanna worry about new ownership. Pussy.

 

[Mojo Ram]

What a joke. Who's running that organization? A middle aged woman?

 

[Stranger]

Isn't Frank Reich the QB who lead the greatest comeback ever? I watched that game live

 

[FRO]

The players and fans are PISSED here in the B-lo. First winning season since 2005 and he bolts out the door cause he doesn't wanna worry about new ownership. Pussy.

I can't blame him. Ownership wouldn't commit to him apparently.

 

[dieterbrock]

Isn't Frank Reich the QB who lead the greatest comeback ever? I watched that game live

At one point in time he had the distinction of the biggest comeback in NFL history AND the biggest comeback in College. Maryland came back to beat Miami(?) from some ridiculous amount

 

[Legatron4]

I can't blame him. Ownership wouldn't commit to him apparently.

I can. There's 32 NFL coaching jobs. Who knows if he gets hired again. They certainly would commit to him. He wanted his whole staff to be extended and they wouldn't do it. So he fucking left.

 

[Legatron4]

At one point in time he had the distinction of the biggest comeback in NFL history AND the biggest comeback in College. Maryland came back to beat Miami(?) from some ridiculous amount

From history.com:

On November 10, 1984, the University of Maryland’s backup quarterback Frank Reich throws six touchdown passes against the University of Miami in the second half of the Orange Bowl. The Terrapins, who had been losing 31-0 at the half, ended up winning the game 42-40. "In the first half, everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong," one of Reich’s teammates said. "In the second half, everything that could possibly go right, went right."



In the first two quarters of the game, Miami out-gained the Terps 328 yards to 57 and ran up their 31-point lead--but they didn’t do it graciously. "The comeback never would’ve happened if it had not been for the attitude of the Miami Hurricanes," one Maryland player remembered. "No question about it. Those guys were the biggest cheap-shot, trash-talking, classless outfit of football players I’ve ever seen in my life." He added: "You can almost take getting beat if a team is kicking your butts and they’re doing it cleanly. And there was no question that they were kicking our butts in the first half. But that team made us mad, and it gave us a little extra incentive." And the Terps dug in their heels.



For the second half, Maryland’s coach replaced first-string quarterback Stan Gelbaugh with Reich, who had a steady, consistent arm. The new QB completed 12 of 15 passes and gained 260 yards. In the third quarter, he threw two touchdown passes and ran a third in himself to cut Miami’s lead to 34-21. In the fourth, he drove 55 yards in nine plays, and his teammate Tommy Neal scored a 14-yard touchdown to make the score 34-28. Then, with about nine and a half minutes left to play, Reich threw a long pass that glanced off Miami safety Darrell Fullington’s hands and landed in Maryland player Greg Hill’s, who ran it in for another touchdown. The score was 35-34, and the Terps had the lead.



Then Miami fumbled the kickoff and Maryland’s Rick Badanjek grabbed the ball and scored again. Now the Terrapins were winning 42-34. For a minute, it looked like Reich’s luck had run out--Miami got the ball after a bad punt snap and scored a quick touchdown, making the score 42-40--but Terp Keeta Covington prevented the two-point conversion and preserved Maryland’s miraculous victory.



To many fans and journalists, the 1984 Orange Bowl was college football’s greatest and most exciting comeback. And Reich went on to become the second-string quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, where he was responsible for one of the greatest comebacks in profootball history: In 1993, he threw four second-half touchdown passes for the Bills, who came from a 35-3 deficit to beat Houston 41-38.

 

[Stranger]

To many fans and journalists, the 1984 Orange Bowl was college football’s greatest and most exciting comeback. And Reich went on to become the second-string quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, where he was responsible for one of the greatest comebacks in profootball history: In 1993, he threw four second-half touchdown passes for the Bills, who came from a 35-3 deficit to beat Houston 41-38.

I seem to recall an interview with Reich after that amazing win, and he said that his equally miraculous win in college gave him the confidence that they could pull it out.

 

[Stranger]

Actually, here's a better version of the Bills' Comeback..



and this...

 

[Dodgersrf]

I read today that the Bills also want to interview Seattles' offensive coordinator and their defensive coordinator.
I don't recall a team wanting to interview both coordinators on the same team.

 

[Akrasian]

I have a co-worker/friend who is originally from that area (diehard lifelong fan like we are) and he said he was going to opt out at seasons end. It's very possible that he doesn't like the new owner and was smart enough to put that clause in his contract. His agent deserves a bonus.

Or it could be because of this. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...e-sammy-watkins-draft-day-trade-buffalo-bills

Seeds of discontent were sown in Buffalo last May, when the Bills traded up to land wide receiverSammy Watkins.

According to sources in the Bills' draft room, former Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone clearly was not happy with the trade.

Marrone was not in favor of Buffalo surrendering a future first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in a trade that did not involve a quarterback, sources said.

There are different accounts of exactly how unhappy Marrone was, with some sources recalling he stormed out of the room, and other sources simply saying he walked out of the room.

Marrone, who opted out of his contract with the Bills this past week, is scheduled to meet Sunday with the New York Jets, the team many consider to be the favorite to hire him, sources confirmed to ESPN.

After his Jets interview, Marrone is scheduled to meet with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, according to sources. The Chicago Bearsalso have been calling Marrone, though they have not yet set up an interview.

The Bills traded the No. 9 overall pick as well as first- and fourth-round picks in 2015 to the Browns in order to move up to the No. 4 pick to select Watkins.

Despite battling various injuries throughout his rookie season, Watkins had 65 catches for 982 yards and six touchdowns while playing all 16 games for the Bills (9-7), who posted a winning record for the first time since 2004.
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Sounds like Marrone lost a draft day power struggle. As good as Watkins was - he isn't a QB, and the Bills gave up a lot for a non-QB - especially since they're a team without one going forward and not much to trade for one.