After nine seasons, the Buffalo Bills are searching for a new head coach again. The HC market is already booming following Black Monday, so there’s no shortage of replacements for Sean McDermott. One of the names that has taken a considerable spotlight is someone who developed Josh Allen into an elite quarterback and has a history with the Bills.

“Talking to NFL executives around the league about Buffalo’s next head coach options, the name that keeps coming up is a familiar one, a Buffalo native and someone Josh Allen loves: Brian Daboll,” posted Dianna Russini of The Athletic on X.

Brian Daboll was the head coach of the New York Giants until November 2025, when the team fired him after a 2-8 start in 2025. Initially, he began his NFL journey as part of the assistant coaching team of the Patriots. He had two different stints at New England, where he won five Super Bowls.

The Bills hired him in 2018 as their offensive coordinator. It was the same year Josh Allen was drafted. He took extra care of the quarterback, making him the face of the franchise. It was something he was efficient in.

“In terms of my path of my career and getting better, he [Daboll] was probably the most influential one,” Allen said in 2023. “He’s a guy that I [would] talk to each and every day,” he continued.

Before his NFL success, Daboll coached high-level quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama, showing his ability to develop talent early.

Later, in his third season with Buffalo, the offense took a major leap, ranking near the top of the league in scoring (31.3 points per game) and helping the Bills reach 13 wins, their first time hitting that mark since the early 1990s. That run also ended long playoff droughts with a division title and a postseason win, and his impact was strong enough to earn him AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, reinforcing why his offensive résumé is respected.

The Bills Mafia remembers him for building a team that defeated Bill Belichick’s Patriots during the 2021 postseason, 47-17. Allen absolutely flourished under him. In his last two seasons at Buffalo, Allen scored 40+ touchdowns, earning that elite title. The Giants hired him in 2022, offering him his first HC role in the NFL.

Daboll’s recent record was not impressive, but he was successful with the Giants in his first season. He took them to the playoffs in 2022 for the first time since 2016. While he excelled as an OC, his HC journey has been full of ups and downs. Brian Daboll is an interesting choice, considering his history with Allen. Amid the firing and rumors, Bills owner Terry Pegula has made some changes in the organization’s hierarchy.

Brandon Beane has been promoted by Terry Pegula

GM Brandon Beane was hired by Terry Pegula the same year as Sean McDermott. However, after McDermott’s firing, Beane will no longer be just the general manager. Instead, he has been promoted to become the President of Football Operations/General Manager.

“Terry Pegula announces not only is Sean McDermott out as head coach, but Brandon Beane has been promoted to President of Football Operations/General Manager and will oversee the coaching staff — a new vertical reporting structure,” Ian Rapoport reported on X.

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Beane has done a commendable job in maintaining the franchise’s cap space since 2017. He has drafted star players like Allen, LB Tremaine Edmunds, and DT Ed Oliver. Besides that, he tactfully signed offensive free agents, but never crossed the cap space. Currently, he is under his second contract extension, which runs until 2027.

In his new role, he will be responsible for leading the HC search and overseeing the facets of football operations in the organization. The two-time Sporting News Executive of the Year will directly report to Pegula and Pete Guelli, who was also promoted from the Chief Operating Officer to President of Business Operations. With this new hierarchy within the organization and chatter of Brian Daboll replacing Sean McDermott, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming weeks line up for the Bills.