ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Chan Gailey’s second chance to prove himself as an NFL head coach comes with plenty of challenges.
The Bills team he’s taking over hasn’t made the playoffs in a decade and its fans have been clamoring for Bill Cowher during a coaching search that seemed to take forever.
Instead of landing one of the big-name coaches such as Cowher or Mike Shana- han, Gailey — who coached the Cowboys for two seasons — was introduced Tuesday as the 15th head coach in Bills history — and fifth in 10 years.
“I can’t say anything to change anybody’s mind. All I can do is go try to help us win football games,” Gailey said. “We win football games, everybody’s minds will be changed, right?”
Gailey was hired by first-time general manager Buddy Nix, ending a two- month search to replace Dick Jauron, who was fired in November. Gailey takes over a Bills team coming off its fifth straight losing season following a 6-10 finish, and in the midst of a 10-year playoff drought that is tied with Detroit as the longest active streak in the NFL.
Gailey went 18-14 with the Cowboys and led the team to consecutive playoff appearances — both losses. He has been out of football since he was removed as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator in August, two weeks before the season opener. He was entering his second season with Kansas City after a six-year stretch as Georgia Tech’s coach, during which he went 44-33 before being fired in 2007.
Phillips back in saddle?
ARLINGTON, Texas — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is giving every indication that he is picking up coach Wade Phillips’ contract option for the 2010 season, and likely keeping him longer.
“We don’t have any funny business here, guys. There’s nothing funny going on here, at all,” Jones said. “We just want to do this when we both can do it and both get it stated the way we want to state it.”
As for Phillips coming back for his fourth season, and maybe more after that, Jones said he would answer all those questions at a season wrapup news conference later in the week with “both him and me there.”
Dallas is 34-17 under Phillips, playoffs included.
Footnotes.
Running back Deuce McAllister retired from pro football, ending an injury-plagued, eight- year career in which he rewrote the Saints’ records for rushing yards (6,096), touchdowns (55) and rushing TDs (49).
• The Seahawks hired Packers executive John Schneider as their new general manager.
