Analysis: Gailey a giant step backwards for Buffalo
A new day is come for Bills fans everywhere, with the team seemingly set to hire Chan Gailey as their new head coach this afternoon, and while some fans may find excitement in his arrival, the signal it sends to the rest of the league is not one to be proud of.
Before I get into why this move is so lacking in inspiration, allow me to first say that Gailey is an extremely likable coach and has plenty of offensive acumen to back up his impressive resume. He did well with the horrific level of talent he was given two seasons ago in Kansas City, and while his stay at Georgia Tech left many Yellow Jacket fans feeling angry, Gailey accomplished quite a bit in developing several collegiate players into NFL stars.
That said, the hiring of Gailey in Buffalo paints a picture of desperation, in that the franchise is so adamant in having a offensive minded head coach that they passed on bringing in a quality candidate like Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, in favor of doing a bit of revisionist history with Gailey. Far from being a superb choice, Gailey is known quantity who is a capable coordinator, but has shown time and time again to be severely lacking in his ability to manage an entire team of egos and personalities, which is priority number one as a head coach in the NFL.
Gailey’s own personality conflicts with this, as he is such a nice guy that he is incapable of maintaining the discipline needed to keep his team on the straight and narrow. That’s not to say that its imperative that a coach be strict all of the time, but not being able to have a healthy mix of the two has derailed many a head coaching career, as Gailey could likely attest in his previous stops around the league.
For the sake of fans in Buffalo, I truly hope I’m wrong about Gailey, and he will prove to be a solid hire for a team that is steeped in tradition and history. But given his track record and displayed inability to handle an entire organization, the Bills would be wise to hedge their bets for the time being.
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Right now, the -Buffalo- Bills don't really have time to nurture a first-time HC . In fact, the number of days that the Bills have left in Buffalo may be same as the number of days that -91- year-old owner Ralph WIlson has left on this Earth. With an uncertain situation for 2011 (lockout and/or abbreviated schedule?), the team MUST be competitive in 2010 to have any chance of finding a local buyer after Wilson's family puts the team up for sale immediately upon his passing. [It's clear none of his heirs want to keep the team]. By 2012 or 13, it may be to be too late.
Buddy Nix knows this very well, which is why he has said from Day One that he wanted someone with HC experience. And they can't afford Bill Cowher, so that narrows it down some.