For the first time in a decade, someone other than Sean McDermott will be coaching the Buffalo Bills. The franchise opted for a familiar face in offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
Brady joined the Bills in the 2022 season as the quarterbacks coach following his time in Carolina as quarterbacks coach (2020-21). He became the team’s interim offensive coordinator in 2023, then took over full-time in 2024.
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With him calling the offense, Buffalo became one of the best offenses in the NFL. Quarterback Josh Allen won the NFL MVP with Brady calling the plays in 2024. In 2025, Buffalo was the No. 1 rushing team in the league and ranked fourth in yards and points on offense.
By advanced metrics, Brady oversaw one of the best offenses in the league. Buffalo was second league-wide in expected points added (EPA) per play in 2023 and 2024 before finishing tied for second in the metric in 2025.
But Buffalo opting to promote from within doesn’t historically align with success. Brady could join some unfortunate company with this move. Here’s a look back at the eight times NFL teams promoted from within for their head coach position and how that’s panned out:
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Sean McDermott was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for nine seasons, from 2017-2025. McDermott compiled a record of 98-50 during his tenure (.662 winning %). The Bills made eight playoff appearances during McDermott’s tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Sean McDermott was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for nine seasons, from 2017-2025. McDermott compiled a record of 98-50 during his tenure (.662 winning %). The Bills made eight playoff appearances during McDermott’s tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
In the eight playoff appearances under Sean McDermott, the Buffalo Bills reached the AFC championship game twice (2020 and 2024 seasons). The Bills had an 8-8 record in playoff games under McDermott.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Anthony Lynn was interim head coach for the Buffalo Bills for one game during the 2016 season, a 30-10 loss to the New York Jets in the season finale. Lynn was elevated to the post following the firing of Rex Ryan.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Rex Ryan was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two seasons, from 2015 through 15 games of the 2016 season. Ryan compiled a record of 15-16 (.484 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Doug Marrone was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two seasons, from 2013-14. Marrone compiled a record of 15-17 (.469 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Chan Gailey was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for three seasons, from 2010-12. Gailey compiled a record of 16-32 (.333 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Perry Fewell was interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills for seven games during the 2009 season following the firing of Dick Jauron. The Bills went 3-4 (.429 winning %) under Fewell.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Dick Jauron was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for four seasons, from 2006 through the first nine games of the 2009 season. Jauron compiled a record of 24-33 (.421 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Mike Mularkey was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two seasons, from 2004-05. Mularkey compiled a record of 14-18 (.438 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Gregg Williams was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for three seasons, from 2001-03. Williams compiled a record of 17-31 (.354 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Marv Levy was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for 12 seasons, from 1986-1997. Levy compiled a record of 112-70 (.615 winning %) during his tenure. The Bills made eight playoff appearances under Levy, including making an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Unfortunately for Marv Levy, the Buffalo Bills and their fans, the team was unable to emerged victorious in the Super Bowl. Still, the Bills were 11-8 (.579 winning %) in playoff games under Levy.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Hank Bullough was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two seasons, from 1985-86, after taking over for Kay Stephenson following the first four games of the 1985 season. Bullough compiled a record of 4-17 (.190 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Kay Stephenson was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for three seasons, from 1983 through the first four games of the 1985 season. Stephenson compiled a record of 10-26 (.278 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Chuck Knox was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for five seasons, from 1978-1982. Knox compiled a record of 37-36 (.507 winning %) during his tenure. The Bills made two playoff appearances under Knox.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Jim Ringo was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two seasons, from 1976-77 after taking over for Lou Saban following the first seven games of the 1976 season. Ringo compiled a record of 3-20 (.130 winning %) during his tenure.
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Sean McDermott fired: How did previous Bills head coaches fare?
Lou Saban was head coach of the Buffalo Bills for nine seasons, from 1962-65 and again from 1972-76. Saban compiled a record of 68-45-2 (.601 winning %) during his tenure. The Bills made three playoff appearances under Saban and won the 1964 and 1965 AFL championships.
NFL coaches promoted to head coach since 2016: Teams, recordsBrian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas promoted Schottenheimer in 2025 after he spent the prior two years as the team’s offensive coordinator. Year one under him was a mixed bag; Dallas finished under 0.500 but had a top-10 scoring offense once again after dropping off without Dak Prescott in 2024. The Cowboys underperformed thanks to the worst defense by points in the NFL and third-worst by yards. There were promising signs in his first campaign.
Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders
Tenure: 2023 (interim)-2024
Las Vegas promoted the former NFL linebacker from linebackers coach to head coach in 2023 in Week 8. He finished the year 5-4 but failed to improve on that in 2024. Ultimately, the Raiders ended up 4-13 with one of the worst offenses in the league that year, and Pierce was fired after 26 games as head coach.
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Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bowles’ second stint as a head coach came after three years on the Buccaneers’ staff as their defensive coordinator. He was a part of the 2020 championship-winning team.
In four years as a head coach, Tampa Bay has won three NFC South titles but has just one postseason win. Two of his offensive coordinators have become head coaches elsewhere (Dave Canales in Carolina and Liam Coen in Jacksonville). The 2025 season saw a Bowles-coached defense finish below-average in points allowed for the first time since 2019.
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Lovie Smith, Houston Texans
Houston promoted Smith from defensive coordinator to head coach for the 2022 NFL season after firing David Culley in 2021.
The team didn’t fare much better under Smith’s watch. They went from 4-13 to 3-13-1, with a bottom-four scoring offense and defense league-wide. He controversially played for a tie in his first game as Texans head coach. That lone year set the stage for DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud’s arrival and the best three-year stretch in franchise history.
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Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland fired coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley after a 2-5-1 start to the 2018 season. Interim coach Gregg Williams took over and promoted Kitchens to offensive coordinator. With Kitchens calling plays and Williams overseeing it all, the Browns went 5-3 in their final eight games.
Kitchens was viewed as a coach who could get the most out of 2017 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. That didn’t happen in 2019, though. Cleveland finished 22nd in points and yards on offense and Kitchens was fired after his lone season at the helm.
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Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tenure: 2016 (interim)-2020
Marrone took over as interim head coach after Jacksonville fired Gus Bradley with two weeks to go in the 2016 season. Marrone was promoted to full-time head coach for the 2017 season.
Jacksonville made a run to the 2017 AFC championship game behind a ferocious defense but never made the playoffs or had a winning record after that. Marrone lasted three more seasons in Jacksonville. He lost his final 15 games in 2020 to secure the No. 1 pick in the following season’s NFL Draft, which turned out to be quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
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Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Koetter was on his third stop as an offensive coordinator when he got to Tampa Bay in 2015. The Buccaneers finished 6-10 under Lovie Smith but had a top-five offense by yards for the first time in franchise history. Tampa Bay fired Smith at the end of the 2015 season and promoted Koetter in his stead.
He went 9-7 in his first season at the helm but followed that with back-to-back 5-11 seasons. Tampa Bay’s offense continued to produce yards at least but the defense fell to one of the worst units in the league.
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Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
Tenure: 2015 (interim)-17
Mularkey finished out the 2015 season after Tennessee fired Ken Whisenhunt. After going 2-7 in the final nine games and earning the No. 1 pick in the following draft, the Titans made the widely panned decision to promote Mularkey to full-time head coach for 2016.
He led the Titans to their first winning season since 2011, finishing 9-7 in 2016. Tennessee missed the playoffs, though. In 2017, the Titans snuck into the playoffs with a Week 18 win and beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card game. That was the team’s first road playoff win since 2003.
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He parted ways with Tennessee after that season.
Ben McAdoo, New York Giants
McAdoo coached up a top-eight offense as a coordinator in 2015. When Tom Coughlin stepped down after the season, McAdoo was named his successor.
McAdoo led the team to an 11-5 record and its first playoff berth since the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2011. But that was built on the No. 2 scoring defense in the league, not the No. 26-ranked scoring offense. New York was bounced in the first round of the playoffs that year. After a 2-10 start in 2017, New York fired him.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: History shows Joe Brady hire may not work out well for Buffalo Bills