AP source: Bills fire entire coaching staff

• by John Wawrow, Ap Sports Writer
• 1 hr 14 mins ago

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – The Buffalo Bills opened their offseason with a purge by firing interim coach Perry Fewell and the rest of his staff on Monday.

Though Fewell was dismissed, he will still interview for the team's vacant head coaching job, a personal familiar with the decisions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the dismissals.

The shakeup came a day after the Bills (6-10) closed their season with a 30-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

FoxSports.com first reported the firings.

Days after firing head coach Dick Jauron in November, Bills owner Ralph Wilson had said no job was safe as he was preparing to revamp his entire front office once the season ended.

The overhaul already began last week, when national scout Buddy Nix was promoted to general manager, filling a spot that had been filled by the team's chief operating officer Russ Brandon, who had no football background.

The Bills closed their 50th season by missing the playoffs for a 10th straight year, and capping a decade in which they enjoyed only one winning season — a 9-7 finish in 2004.

Fewell, the team's defensive coordinator, finished with a 3-4 record as the interim coach.

Except for highly respected special teams coordinator Bobby April, most of the Bills assistants, including Fewell, had been hired by Jauron.

The timing of the shakeup comes as the Bills embark on their fifth coaching search since Hall of Famer Marv Levy retired after the 1997 season.

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher has been mentioned as a candidate. Several media outlets, including ESPN and The Buffalo News, have reported the Bills have spoken to Cowher.