Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan leaves the field after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 11. (Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)
The Buffalo Bills will miss the postseason for the 17th year in a row, and they’ve found a pair of names to pin their latest disappointment on.
Rex Ryan has been relieved of his duties as head coach. Anthony Lynn will serve as interim head coach. pic.twitter.com/8Vf0fxqwcl
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) December 27, 2016
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The team announced on Tuesday that both Rex Ryan and his brother Rob have been relieved of their duties. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn has been named Buffalo’s interim head coach.
In two seasons as the team’s head coach, Ryan went 15-16 after the Bills finished 9-7 the year before he arrived. Rob joined his staff this past offseason as a defensive assistant, but his presence didn’t do anything to help the team on that side of the ball.
The Bills were expected to improve upon a promising 2014 season in which they were first in sacks and boasted one of the best defenses in the NFL. In Ryan’s first year, the Bills fell all the way to 31st in sacks and struggled to stop any team they came across.
With Lynn now taking over on an interim basis, the Bills will get a first look at whether he can handle being a head coach. He’s certain to be a hot commodity this offseason among other teams with openings, but Buffalo will have an advantage with a one-game audition coming in Week 17.
Lynn will be the 19th head coach in the team’s history, including the sixth since 2009. He doesn’t have any head coaching experience, but he’s risen quickly in Buffalo — from running backs coach to offensive coordinator to head coach just this season.
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