When the Buffalo Bills released their new coaching staff last week, one particular name that caught the eye of a lot of people was John Fox, who was hired as a Senior Assistant Coach. Fox has been a head coach in this league for 16 years, with the Panthers, Broncos, and Bears. Ultimately, he’s been in the NFL since 1989 where he started his NFL career in Pittsburgh as defensive backs coach.
He was out of the league the last two years, but was previously a Senior Defensive Assistant for the Detroit Lions. Now he will be on Buffalo’s coaching staff, and it’s a very intriguing hire for the Bills.
With Joe Brady being a first-time head coach, but having been in the building since 2022, it’s important that Brady is able to elevate this team higher than Sean McDermott ever could. McDermott set the foundation and built a winning culture, but was never able to win the big one.
While Brady has been an excellent offensive coordinator for the Bills, being the head coach is a totally different beast to take on. Brady was a coveted head coaching candidate the last two seasons so it was a matter of time before he got his chance. Now he gets in Buffalo, where the expectations are high.
Bills' hiring of John Fox revealed by Albert Breer
For as bright as Brady has shown to be, being a first-time head coach can be scary unless you have great guidance from a support system. John Fox will be part of that system now, and Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated managed to share how Fox even became a thought into being added to this coaching staff.
Breer gave an in-depth breakdown of the Bills’ head coaching search and then near the end of his bit for the Bills, Breer said that Brady was requested by the front office to bring in an “experienced ex-head coach as a sounding board.” With the connection that Beane had with Fox from their time in Carolina, it makes sense that Fox was that ex-head coach that was brought in.
"And when it was over, the Bills bosses had just one request of Brady, and that was to bring in an experienced ex-head coach as a sounding board. Luckily enough, Beane had John Fox, with whom he’d worked for nine seasons in Carolina, on speed dial, and Brady met with him and decided to hire him (Fox has been on the job for a week already)." said Breer.
Fox has led two teams to conference championships, but was never able to win a Super Bowl. However, his experience on when situations arise for the Bills could be utilized to benefit Buffalo. With this new era happening in Buffalo, it’s important for the Bills to utilize any kind of help especially considering the fact that they are still Super Bowl contenders.
The addition of Fox is supposed to help Brady grow as a head coach, not as a playcaller. Brady is bound to make mistakes, no one is perfect. That is where he can rely on someone like Fox on what to do in certain situations, both on and off the field.