Coaching search ends: Bills hire Chan Gailey

by AP

The Buffalo Bills named the offensive-minded Chan Gailey as head coach on Tuesday, hoping the former coach of the Dallas Cowboys can steer the team back to the playoffs after a decade-long drought.

Gailey, Buffalo's fifth head coach in 10 years, replaces interim coach Perry Fewell, who took over midway through the season when Dick Jauron was fired after a 3-6 start.

"I understand the challenge that is ahead of us and the challenge to get the Buffalo Bills back to a winning franchise," Gailey told a news conference. "It's going to be a tough task, it's going to be a lot of hard work and it's going to be something that's not done easily."

Buffalo, coming off a 6-10 season, fired Fewell and his staff earlier this year as part of an overhaul to return the team to the post season.

The 58-year-old Gailey was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, leading the team to the playoffs each year. He was also head coach at Georgia Tech where he had a 44-33 record.

Fewell, who had a 3-4 record as head coach of the Bills, was named last week as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.