The Buffalo Bills officially named Rex Ryan as their new coach on Monday and the former New York Jets coach reportedly agreed to a five-year deal.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed as per team policy, but ESPN reported that Ryan, who will be introduced in a news conference on Wednesday, will get $5.5 million per year.
Bills owner Terry Pegula confirmed Ryan's hiring on Monday morning, which ended their search for a new head coach. Sources said that the team considered 11 other candidates for the job before giving Ryan the position vacated by Doug Marrone, who opted out of his contract late last year.
"Following an extensive search, we are pleased today to announce that Rex Ryan is our new head coach," Pegula said in a statement. "Rex brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position that we feel will be a tremendous benefit to our players and the entire Bills organization."
Ryan spent the past six seasons in New York before the Jets organization opted to part ways with him along with former general manager John Idzik after finishing the season with a 4-12 record.
Ryan finished his six-year stint in New York with a 50-52 record, including a 4-2 card in the playoffs. He helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010, but has struggled to lead the team to success in the next four seasons.
But while Ryan failed to lead the Jets to the playoffs this season, Pegula is confident that the 52-year-old coach is the perfect coach for the Bills, who ended this season with a 9-7 record, but failed to end their 15-year playoff drought.
"He was very impressive during the interview process, as were many of the candidates to which we spoke, and we feel Rex is the best fit for our team," Pegula said. "We look forward to his leadership and expertise in directing our team to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans."
According to reports, Ryan is not expected to bring in some of his former assistant coaches to Buffalo.
Alex Marvez, an NFL insider from Fox Sports, reported that the Bills have also reached an agreement with Greg Roman, who will be their offensive coordinator starting next season. Roman previously worked for the San Francisco 49ers where he helped transform Colin Kaepernick into a starting quarterback.
