Just two days after the Buffalo Billsmoved on from Rick Dennison, they landed their new offensive coordinator.
Buffalo poached Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll from the college ranks on Sunday, hiring the 42-year-old in the same capacity.
"We are excited to hire Brian as our offensive coordinator and welcome him back to Western New York. I know how much this area means to him," Bills coach Sean McDermott said in a team statement. "He is a good coach and a good teacher and has been a part of winning programs in the NFL and in college."
A Buffalo-area native, Daboll piloted Alabama's offense to a massive second-half comeback in the Tide's College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Georgia after replacing sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts with true freshman Tua Tagovailoa at halftime. He joined Alabama's staff in 2017 after spending four seasons in New England as an offensive assistant and tight ends coach. Daboll was last an NFL offensive coordinator in 2012 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite making the playoffs in 2017, the Bills owned the worst scoring offense among all postseason teams, earning just 18.9 points per game. Buffalo ranked 29th in yards per game (302.6), 31st in passing offense (176.6 per tilt), 27th in yards per play (4.8) and 22nd in points per game, but boasted the sixth rushing offense (126.1 per game) in the NFL. Daboll will be the Bills' fifth offensive coordinator in six seasons.
Among Daboll's tasks this offseason will be to evaluate the QB position in Buffalo. The Bills have an opportunity to move on from Tyrod Taylor, if they choose to seize it. But given Daboll's ability to work magic with shorter, elusive quarterbacks in Hurts and Tagovailoa in Tuscaloosa this year, perhaps Buffalo will opt to give Taylor another go.