Archives for January 2006

‘The Bills aren’t alone in giving looks to more than one minority candidate for their top coaching position. At least six other teams interviewed multiple candidates, and with 10 teams changing head coaches, this has been a record off-season for those of color to be interviewed for head coaching opportunities in the NFL.’

‘The Buffalo Bills’ search for a new head coach now includes Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell.’

‘Mularkey returned to his home in Buffalo and is not expected to make a decision until perhaps tonight. Because Mularkey received no settlement from the Bills, he is free to work for any other team, including an AFC East opponent. Mularkey still has family in the Fort Lauderdale area, and his wife is a Florida native.’

‘It is not known whether Saban offered Mularkey the position, which opened when Scott Linehan became coach of the St. Louis Rams on Thursday.’

‘According to the sources, Levy wants former Chicago head coach Dick Jauron, while Wilson would like to see former Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman in charge.’

‘Caldwell has eight years (1993-2000) of head coaching experience with Wake Forest at the college level.’

‘A decision on the head coach is expected by Tuesday, a person said with direct knowledge of the search process told The Associated Press on Friday.’

‘Caldwell, who took over briefly for Tony Dungy following the suicide of Dungy’s son last month, has been part of a Colts offensive the past four years that has been among the most successful passing attacks in the NFL. In 2004, quarterback Peyton Manning had perhaps the finest season by any NFL quarterback. Manning completed 336 of 497 passes for 4,557 yards and 49 touchdowns, while posting a 121.1 seasonal rating. Manning’s 49 scoring passes broke the prior NFL record of Dan Marino (48, 1984), while his rating eclipsed the prior mark of Steve Young (112.8, 1994).’

‘Saban likes to move quickly when hiring aides, so if the interview goes well, it would not be surprising if he made an offer before Mularkey left town. In what might have been a preemptive move, the New England Patriots promoted quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels to offensive coordinator, a position that had been vacant since Charlie Weis left for Notre Dame before this season. McDaniel would likely have been a target of the Dolphins and other teams if he went to next week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., without the coordinator title.’

‘Caldwell, who took over briefly for Tony Dungy following the suicide of Dungy’s son last month, likely would be the final candidate brought in by Bills owner Ralph Wilson and general manager Marv Levy.’

‘Capers brings 20 years of NFL coaching experience to the table and was the first coach of the Texans (18-46 record) and Panthers (31-25 record) when they entered the league as expansion franchises.’

‘The Bills have sought permission to interview Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell, a person with direct knowledge of the search process told The Associated Press.’

‘At this point, trying to read the Bills’ organization and figuring who their new head coach will be is about as easy as quantum physics. Most Bills fans that I’ve spoken with want Sherman, but will the organization see it that way? Either way, the team needs to find a successor to Mike Mularkey right away. The Senior Bowl practices begin next weekend for college players, and that’s where coaches scout college players with the remainder of the staff. How are the Bills going to put a staff together in time for next weekend and be adequately prepared for scouting? It’s imperative that they name a coach by the end of this upcoming weekend.’

‘His relationship with Bills Assistant GM Tom Modrak may have been a factor in getting an interview. Modrak headed the Steelers’ college scouting department when Capers was there. Capers is known as a classy guy with great integrity and has a proven defensive background. However, some of his choices for assistant coaches were viewed as questionable.’

‘"I was looking for a team that wanted a young guy to develop and was looking for a third guy," Ochs said Thursday. "I wanted to continue my development and look for a team that didn’t have too much depth."’