ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Welcome to what will surely be the most chaotic Buffalo Bills offseason in nearly a decade. Headlined by a coaching search for the first time since Sean McDermott was hired in 2017, the Bills' President of Football Operations, Brandon Beane, and Owner Terry Pegula have a laundry list of notable decisions to make. However, none is more significant than who they will hire as the team's next head coach.
The interviews have already begun, and there will be extensive reporting about potential candidates over the next few weeks. But these are the five names I think you need to keep an eye on, ranked from least to most intriguing:
5: Mike LaFleur, Rams Offensive Coordinator
You’ll notice a common theme with all of the names I list. I believe the Bills will target an offensive-minded head coach to replace the defensive-minded McDermott.
LaFluer has been the Rams' Offensive Coordinator for three seasons. He works in collaboration with Rams Head Coach and offensive mastermind Sean McVay, but does indeed call the plays for the offense. It’s still McVay’s offense, but LaFleur is often the one steering the ship and has earned increased responsibility over the course of his three years in Los Angeles. Coaches connected to McVay will always be attractive candidates, and at some point, LaFleur will almost certainly get a head coaching job.
4: Grant Udinski, Jaguars Offensive Coordinator
Full disclosure, when I made my initial list Udinksi wasn’t on it, but the more research I did, the more I was intrigued. He’s the youngest candidate at just 30-years-old and doesn’t have any head coaching experience. But just like LaFleur, he comes from an elite coaching tree.
Prior to joining the Jags staff as their Offensive Coordinator, Udinski spent three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell. He eventually earned a bigger role after his time in Minnesota and had immediate success in Jacksonville.
During his first season as Jags OC, Trevor Lawrence became an NFL MVP finalist, and the Jags offense became a juggernaut. That said, Udinski does NOT call plays; that duty is handled by Head Coach Liam Coen. But he appears ready for the next step, and many believe he’s quickly rising through the coaching ranks.
“He’s all ball. Grant is all ball and has no ego,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said at the 2025 NFL Combine to reporters. “He rides around in a Honda CRV and just wants to live as close to the building as he can, and that’s what’s always stood out. His ability and his passion for the game, and all you’ve ever heard is positive things about him.”
Udinski is scheduled for a second interview with the Cleveland Browns for their Head Coach vacancy, so the Bills aren’t the only team talking to Udinski. I’d imagine he’d prefer a job in Buffalo with Josh Allen as his quarterback, but the Browns could have him sign a contract before he ever makes his way to Buffalo for an interview.
3: Brian Daboll, Former Giants Head Coach
Josh Allen adores Brian Daboll, and Brian Daboll adores Josh Allen.
That matters.
What also matters are Daboll’s Western New York roots. Nobody understands what the Bills mean to this community more than Daboll, a graduate of St. Francis High School just miles away from Highmark Stadium.
But Daboll’s hometown isn’t his biggest selling point. The Former AP NFL Head Coach of the Year in 2022 is believed by many in NFL circles to be one of the best offensive minds in the league. We saw it firsthand during his three seasons as the Bills' Offensive Coordinator from 2018 to 2021. During that stretch, Josh Allen went from a raw rookie to one of the best players in the NFL.
His success in Buffalo earned him his first head coaching opportunity with the New York Giants, but it fizzled out after three and a half seasons. His record in New York will be a red flag for many, finishing with twice as many losses as wins (20-40-1). Daboll will likely argue his hands were tied with poor quarterback play, which is a valid excuse. But after his first season, things kept getting worse and worse.
Daboll checks a lot of boxes, and the Bills' Head Coaching job would literally be his dream job. This is a real possibility and one that makes a lot of sense.
2: Klint Kubiak, Seahawks Offensive Coordinator
It’s not a coincidence that Klint Kubiak got to Seattle and their offense immedaitely became dangerous. Seattle had the third most points in the NFL and averaged more points per game than the Bills. Sam Darnold, who is coincidentally Josh Allen’s best friend, had immediate success in Seattle and is the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Kubiak is a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year and is believed by many to be the most coveted candidate with a background on offense. He calls plays in Seattle and has spent plenty of time with the top offensive minds in the NFL. His father, Gary, was the Broncos' head coach when they won a Super Bowl in 2015.
Kubiak does call plays, so he would likely do the same thing in Buffalo. But like any of the younger candidates listed, surrounding them with veteran coordinators needs to be of the utmost importance.
1: Davis Webb, Broncos Offensive Pass Game Coordinator
Just like Daboll, Davis Webb has plenty of familiarity with Allen. The 31-year-old spent three seasons as a player inside the Bills' quarterback room, often moonlighting as a second coach. His teammates at the time talked about how valuable he was behind the seasons as a player-coach.
After his three seasons in Buffalo, he followed Daboll to New York for his final year as a player before getting into coaching.
He then went to Denver and began working with Sean Payton, serving as the Broncos' quarterbacks coach. After two seasons, he was promoted to Offensive Pass Game Coordinator, helping elevate Bo Nix’s game and ultimately securing a spot in the AFC Championship Game.
Webb has never called plays, but there is a reason he’s already a candidate for some of the other vacant head coaching jobs.
“You’ve heard, this guy is a savant,” ESPN NFL analyst Andrew Hawkins told Jim Rome on Wednesday. “He is going to be a rockstar as it pertains to being a head coach in the NFL one day.”
Webb’s former teammate Jon Feliciano also shared some praise when talking to Yahoo Sports earlier in the week.
“Davis is going to be one of the best coaches in the league in the next decade.”
If Webb gets the job, I'd love to see him bring in a veteran Offensive Coordinator to work alongside. Daboll is even an option if he doesn't get the head coaching job in Buffalo.
