ORCHARD PARK, NY (WKBW) -- The Buffalo Bills have named Buddy Nix, currently the team's director of college scouting, as their new General Manager. The official announcement came during a 2:30 p.m. news conference Thursday.
Russ Brandon will be moved from GM to the team president and CEO, sources said.
Channel 7 Sports Director Jeff Russo had the FIRST and EXCLUSIVE one on one interview with Nix after the announcement. Watch the video here.
The Bills also considered other in-house personnel men, John Guy and Tom Modrak, for the position.
Before returning to the Bills, Nix served as Chargers assistant GM and director of player personnel was given significant credit for the rebuilding of the team's talent base until he left the organization in 2008. He also has worked under former Bills architects John Butler and A.J. Smith, the current Chargers GM.
Nix turned 70 years old on Dec 6.
Orchard Park, NY—Buddy Nix has been named the new General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. announced this afternoon.
Nix becomes the 11th General Manager in Bills history and will be responsible for all football operations. He rejoined the organization earlier this year as a national scout. He served seven seasons with the San Diego Chargers, first as Director of Player Personnel (2001-02), where he oversaw both pro and college scouting departments, and then as Assistant General Manager-Director of Player Personnel (2003-07).
The Chargers were 1-15 the year prior to Nix’s arrival and then made the playoffs four times between 2001 and 2008 while capturing the AFC West title four times between 2004 and 2008. San Diego advanced to the AFC Championship game in 2007.
Nix was a southeast region college scout for the Bills from 1993-2000, where he first worked with former Bills GM John Butler and Director of Pro Personnel A.J. Smith before joining them in San Diego.
From 1984-92, Nix was the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Prior to his nine seasons at UTC, his collegiate coaching career included assistant positions at LSU (1981-83), Auburn (1976-80), Southern Mississippi (1972-75), Livingston (1970-71) and Carson Newman (1969). In 1971 Livingston won the Division II National Championship while Nix was the defensive coordinator.
Nix’s coaching career began in 1961 as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama, the same year the Crimson Tide finished 11-0 and defeated Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl en route to a national championship. He later held coaching positions at Anniston (1962-64) and Eufaula (1964-67) High Schools in Alabama and Jonesboro High School (1967-69) in Georgia.
Nix was born in Carbon Hill, Alabama and attended Talladega High School and played linebacker and fullback at Livingston University. In 1983 he was inducted into Livingston’s Hall of Fame.
NIX’S NOTES AS CHARGERS ASST. GM/DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL
Drafts from 2002-08 yielded 16 players who started at least one game for the Chargers in 2008.
Drafts during his tenure produced seven Pro Bowlers: CB Antonio Cromartie (2008), C Nick Hardwick (2007), K Nate Kaeding (2007), LB Shawne Merriman (2006-08), T Marcus McNeil (2007-08), S Hank Milligan (2006) and QB Philip Rivers (2007-08).
Three of his unsigned rookie free agents – TE Antonio Gates (2005-09), G Kris Dielman (2008-09) and WR/ST Kassim Osgood (2007-08) also earned the honor to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl.
San Diego finished the 2008 season with 38 players on its roster drafted or signed as undrafted free agents during Nix’s tenure with the team.
During the 2004 draft, San Diego traded QB Eli Manning to the New York Giants in exchange for QB Philip Rivers and third-round draft choice in 2004 (K Nate Kaeding) and a first-round (LB Shawne Merriman) draft choice and a fifth-round choice in 2005. Three of the players acquired in the trade went the Pro Bowl while with San Diego.
San Diego made an appearance in the playoffs four times between 2001-08 and captured the AFC West title four times between 2004-08. The Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship game in 2007.
NIX’S EXPERIENCE
NFL
2010 - Buffalo Bills, General Manager
2009 - Buffalo Bills, National Scout
2003-2007 San Diego Chargers, Assistant GM-Director of Player Personnel
2001-2002 San Diego Chargers, Director of Player Personnel
1993-2000 Buffalo Bills, Area Scout
COLLEGE
1984-1992 Tennessee-Chattanooga--Head Coach
1981-1983 LSU--Offensive Line, Defensive Coordinator
1976-1980 Auburn--Secondary, Defensive Line, Linebackers
1972-1975 Southern Mississippi--Linebackers, Defensive Coordinator
1970-1971 Livingston University--Defensive Coordinator
1969 Carson-Newman--Secondary
1967-1969 Jonesboro HS--Head Coach
1964-67 Eufala HS--Head Coach
1962-1964 Anniston HS--Assistant Coach, Athletic Director
1961-1962 Alabama--Graduate Assistant
BRANDON NAMED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Orchard Park, NY—Russ Brandon has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. announced today.
Brandon served as the Chief Operating Officer since early January of 2008 and was given the additional title of General Manager in spring of this year. He will continue to oversee all facets of the organization.
Brandon will enter his 14th season with the Bills and is a native of East Syracuse, NY. Throughout his tenure with the Bills, he and his staff have been responsible for the development of the team’s regionalization strategy which includes moving the team’s training camp operations to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY in 1999 and the establishment of the Bills Toronto Series in 2008. During Brandon’s tenure as COO the team recorded its second and third highest season ticket sales in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
As the leader of the football operations department throughout the past two seasons, the team has acquired a young talent base that includes standouts from the 2009 draft class – 2010 AFC Pro Bowl selection S Jairus Byrd and starting rookie offensive linemen Andy Levitre and Eric Wood and Rookie of the Year candidate CB/KR Leodis McKelvin from the 2008 draft class.
Brandon had previously served as the team’s Executive Vice President of Business Operations in 2006-07, overseeing the franchise’s vision and execution of all business-related endeavors. As Vice President of Business Development and Marketing from 1999-2005, Brandon and his staff have been credited with the development of the team as a regional franchise and forming strategic alliances with key business partners.
In 1999, Brandon and his staff finalized the foundation of the regionalization plan by relocating Buffalo Bills Training Camp to St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York. The new layout and location provided the perfect blend of fan interaction and training accommodations. While at St. John Fisher College, the Bills have continually ranked among the NFL’s best in training camp attendance.
Brandon joined the Bills in November of 1997 as Executive Director of Business Development and Marketing after earning a World Series ring as a member of the Florida Marlins front office.
Brandon is a graduate of St. John Fisher College and was elected to the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. He was a four-year letterman in baseball and football.
Jeff Russo and Shawn Stepner will have the very latest on Eyewitness News. WKBW is your official station of the Buffalo Bills.
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