Just over one week after firing Sean McDermott, the Buffalo Bills have their man. The Bills are promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to coach on a five-year deal, the team announced on Tuesday.
While they considered several outside candidates, Bills general manager Brandon Beane tabbed Brady, who has never been a head coach at any level. He does, however, bring considerable experience having spent the previous four years on McDermott’s coaching staff.
The 36-year-old Brady became the Bills’ quarterbacks coach in 2022 before becoming the team’s interim offensive coordinator in 2023 after Buffalo fired Ken Dorsey. He assumed that role on a full-time basis the following year and remained in that role through the 2025 season.
Buffalo ranked second in scoring during Brady’s first full season as offensive coordinator. In 2025, the Bills ranked fourth in the league in scoring and in rushing. The unit was also fourth in third down efficiency and third in red zone efficiency.
Prior to coming to Buffalo, Brady led a memorable, albeit short, run at LSU, where he helped the Tigers capture the 2019 national title as the school’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He worked closely that season with future NFL stars Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Joe Burrow.
Brady did not earn a head coaching opportunity until now after spending two years as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator prior to coming to Buffalo.
Brady, like McDermott, is a William & Mary graduate who broke into coaching at his alma mater in 2013 as a linebackers coach. He spent two years there before spending two years at Penn State as a graduate student. Brady then spent two years with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant. In New Orleans, Brady witnessed one of the most successful coach-quarterback partnerships in NFL history in Sean Payton and Drew Brees.
Brady will now be tasked with helping the Bills maximize the rest of quarterback Josh Allen’s prime. The Bills haven’t been to a Super Bowl since January 1994, and they’re now putting their faith in Brady to help them end that drought.
Now that the Bills’ position has been filled, the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders are the three remaining teams that are still in search of a new head coach.
