Archives for January 2004

‘The Bills announced that the team has hired Bobby April as special teams coach and that Don Blackmon will remain as linebackers coach. April spent the last three seasons in the same position with the St. Louis Rams and previously coached in the NFL with the Saints (1996-99), Steelers (1994-95) and Falcons (1991-93). ‘

‘Here’s your chance to ask Schobel a question!’

‘One of the most effective defensive game plans in championship contest history, the design with which the underdog New York Giants blunted the explosive Buffalo Bills attack for a one-point victory in Super Bowl XXV, was drawn up on the fly. Literally.’

‘”He’s a really good coach that will really get guys going and hopefully we can get that chemistry and get as far as we can next year and it’ll be a tribute to a lot of people,” Shaw said. “I’m surprised that he’s had the success he’s had the past three years and not gotten a head coaching job. But he’s our coach now.”‘

Bobby April, essentially fired by the Rams last week when St. Louis elected not to renew his contract after three years, has agreed to become Buffalo’s special-teams coach, ESPN.com has learned.

‘”He is a perfect fit for Buffalo,” Egelsky said. “He is a blue-collar guy for a blue-collar town. The thing about him that you never forget is his competitiveness. I don’t care whether it was football, basketball, cards or pool. He wanted to win, or he wanted to keep playing until he did. That’s the mentality a coach has to have.”‘

‘SteamWheelers head coach Rich Ingold introduced the Bills to Francis by calling Tom Donahoe, Ingold’s former high school head coach and now the general manager at Buffalo.’

‘It remained unclear whether defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would be able to reunite with Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Tim Krumrie. The Bills have been blocking Krumrie from speaking to Washington, but there was no official word on whether he would remain on Mike Mularkey’s staff.’

‘Mularkey also made a key hire in Jim McNally to coach the offensive linemen. The Bills have guys with intriguing tools along the offensive line, but they have been underachievers – most notably Mike Williams. McNally has a reputation of getting a lot from his blockers.’

‘The Bills new head coach, Mike Mularkey, got his first job as an NFL coach by going to the Senior Bowl. One of his key assistants, offensive line coach Jim McNally, a graduate of Kenmore West, is spending this week in Mobile before coming to Western New York.’

‘Certainly, the setback must have motivated the Patriots. Some good must have come out of such a problem-filled opener. “Good?” coach Bill Belichick said. “No. No. No.” In the four months since then, Buffalo faltered and missed the playoffs while the Patriots are 16-1.’

‘”I think he’s going to be a great fit for Buffalo. As a guy who has covered the Steelers for the last 10 years, I’ve watched him as a tight ends coach and then as an offensive coordinator and he’s always had the look of a head coach. The way he sees the game, the way he teaches out there, the way he interacts with players and other coaches and with the media, he’s just got that thing. He just looks like a head coach.”‘

‘Buffalo Bills star Lawyer Milloy gets the custom treatment as his 2003 Hummer is torn apart and turned into a special-order masterpiece.’

The issue became moot last week when Buffalo’s new coach, Mike Mularkey, chose to retain Gray as defensive coordinator. Gray intends to keep his defensive staff intact, meaning the Redskins will also lose out on two other Bills assistants: linebackers coach Don Blackmon and defensive line coach Tim Krumrie.

‘At any point Sunday, did you look at Weis, or at Carolina’s head coach, John Fox and say, “They could have hired that guy?” Did you find yourself wondering if Tom Donahoe, the Bills’ president and GM, really got the best man when he picked Mike Mularkey as his coach?’