Will Pettine be a Buffalo Bill next season?

[NewEra]

I know Bills fans are excited about the Ds improvement but you'll notice that Pettine isn't getting any national attention. It'll take more than improvement to move his name into legit HC conversations. If the Bills D has a huge improvement from this year to next I can see his name coming up but I don't even see him as being a year away.

 

It also takes more than just coaching up a unit to get a HC gig. Owners and GMs have to think a guy can make that jump - I have no clue how they feel about Pettine. What I do know is that it generally takes more than a year or two of running a D on your own to start getting noticed unless your D is dominant. The Bills D isn't dominant.

 

"National attention = espn/nfln". Wait til the season is over and coaches are fired.....then you'll know which coordinators are in the mix. Like you said, you have no clue how owners and GMs feel about Pettine. National attention = crap.

[BillsBytheBay]

Is Eugene Parker his agent?

[BobChalmers]

This will be an issue eventually - it was already publicly stated that Pettine wanted a chance to get out from under Ryan's shadow so he could eventually be a head coach, but too soon now.

 

The 19th ranked defense is an improvement but not enough of one to have him at the top of coaching hire lists.

 

If they continue to improve next year, then losing him in 2015 is a real possibility.

[atlbillsfan1975]

I think the Bills get him for one more year at least there are other really good Cords out there that will be in line for a HC job too.

Guys that have already interviewed in the past for the position.

I doubt Pettines phone rings too much this off season. Next year if the D looks better he will get interviews. I think after the 2015 season IF the D plays great will be when he gets his shot.

[JPS]

It shows you how bad the Bills were. They are merely decent this year with a 4-7 record and we want to promote people. If Vic Fangio and Mike Zimmer can't get gigs, I dunno how Pettine does.

[Kirby Jackson]

Every NFL coach (with the possible exceptions of LeBeau and Monte Kiffin) wants to be a head coach. That is the pinnacle of their profession. For those asking if that is Pettine's goal -absolutely it is.

 

He will IMO get some interviews because I think that his style will be attractive to teams. He plays that defense that Rex Ryan has had success with and not always with tons of talent. I do not think that it is far fetched that some NFL leadership would want to adopt that "hybrid" aggressive style that the Bills play. It is a defense that can stand up to modern NFL offenses. With that being said I think that it takes one more year for him to get a job but I would not be at all surprised with interviews this year.

[papazoid]

seeing as there are about 8 new head coaches each year, i say he gets offered one of em.

[BigBuff423]

It all depends on how well this Defense plays...no matter what, I think you get 2nd year out of him. But if next year this Defense plays in the top 5, he may very well get offers and depending on how much he likes the team, his role on the team, his voice in the room of decision-makers, and if he actually has the ambition to be a HC, will determine IF he bolts for a HC position. I like the guy, for the first time in about a decade, I really like the Defense and how he's utilizing players to maximize their talent and natural ability.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Why, it's a fair question.

 

At the time, it was 57-0 in favor of 'yes'. I was thinking maybe Pettine wasn't the hot ticket coaching prospect I assumed he was.

[PS 56]

In any business or sports organization the best managers or coaches prepare their replacement. There is no doubt that Pettine will move on to bigger and better things. We just need to be sure that a capable coach fills in behind him.

[mattsox]

Were a stepping stone but I think a two year platform to jump off of

 

I Agree. He's got a great gig right now. If he can keep alot of this year's team intact and add some more Secondary and LB help. I see us doing great things!

[Fingon]

Why would anyone consider Pettine as HC? If GMs wanted a defensively minded HC there were a bunch of good candidates last year. Instead, nearly all the new coaches are offensive guys. There's a reason Chip Kelly and Doug Marrone have head coaching gigs.

[KeisterHollow]

Bills need to win some playoff games and have a top five D for Pettine to get serious attention.

Yeah - you know, Rex's NY Defense has improved, I think - at least, in some areas - since Pettine's departure. I'm not taking anything away from Pettine - I DO think this is a top 10 defense, when healthy, and certainly will be by year's end - but, I'm saying I think the professional arc he was looking at was a 3-4 year stint creating a championship caliber defense, and then he gets his shot (unless the Bills somehow go that far in 2 years). Ultimately, I think he's looking to both have accomplished that 3rd turnaround (Ravens, Jets, and now Bills), and to have that great defense be HIS, before he sets his sight higher.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

If I had to guess, if and when Pettine leaves, Henderson (DB coach) might be in line to get his job. He has worked wonders with our DB's.

[KeisterHollow]

I Agree. He's got a great gig right now. If he can keep alot of this year's team intact and add some more Secondary and LB help. I see us doing great things!

Not to mention, the Buffalo Gig is already almost a success for him. Things could fall apart and the Bills could go nowhere, and he'd still have seemed to come in here and turned it around for this defense. So, its a No Pressure type situation, or a little to lose, much to gain type situation here for him.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

let me just say YES I hope so.

[hondo in seattle]

seeing as there are about 8 new head coaches each year, i say he gets offered one of em.

 

There are 32 OCs and 32 DCs out there, most of whom want to be head coaches. That makes 64 guys competing for those 8 openings, not counting the successful college HCs wanting to move up to the NFL.

 

I just don't think Pettine's resume is strong enough yet to beat out all that competition.

[Stevie Ray]

In any business or sports organization the best managers or coaches prepare their replacement. There is no doubt that Pettine will move on to bigger and better things. We just need to be sure that a capable coach fills in behind him.

Well, Rex might be available for that.

[DefenseWinzChampionshipz]

I think this will be the story of the upcoming off season for Bills fans. The guy has taken a putrid defense and turned it into a top-10 squad (if you believe Football Outsiders, anyway) with pretty much the same personnel on the field.

 

But is Buffalo merely a stepping stone into a head coaching job? Like most years in the modern NFL, multiple teams will be searching for a new coach. Vikings, Bucs, Titans, Texans, Cowboys in all likelihood. Turning the Bills around has been a great opportunity for Pettine to prove that he wasn't just a stooge for Rex Ryan.

 

On the other hand, it's hard to miss how much the defense has gelled under his tutelage. And it's a reality that not EVERY coordinator desires a HC job. In fact, that promotion has proven time and time again to be a career setback if the first opportunity isn't a good one.

 

Personally I think he stays.

 

I agree with most of what you're saying but you're way off on saying he changed the D with pretty much the same players from last year.

 

Let's not forget the new additions in Kiko, Lawson and Hughes. Especially Kiko and Lawson playing HUGE roles in this defense. That's 2 out of 11 players on the field. Then you also have to look at Robey and many new rotational players lkke Charles. I expect good things from Charles in the future. Stephon is still young and him coming into his own is definitely also part of the process.

 

I most certainly will not take credit away from Pettine though. The way he elevated McKelvin and Aaron Williams' game is just damn near perfect. I wouldn't want to see any player in either of their positions as starters the way that they are playing which means it only helps us in focusing on fixing other areas of need.

 

Come draft time, I believe our 1st two picks can go either way. Whether it's offense or defense. But I believe if we aren't active in free agency as far as picking up offensive players, then I believe the majority of the draft will be offensive players.

 

That's all credit to Pettine making our below average to average players play at a very high level. I really hope he stays. In the Jets, I'm sure he got love from the fans, but I doubt it's as much as it is here in Buffalo. In the Jets, Rex Ryan usually got the credit. Over here there's no question as to who the credit goes to.

[klos63]

I'm not so sure there will be many opportunities this coming year. If you look around the league I don't think there will be as many coaching changes as in the past. I would say likely changes in Tampa, Minnesota and Houston, other than that more firings would probably be a surprise.