Bills are quietly prepared with multiple internal defensive coordinator options as Joe Brady begins shaping his first coaching staff
There is a lot of work still to be done after Buffalo named former offensive coordinator Joe Brady as head coach.
The Buffalo Bills have moved on from Sean McDermott and made the official announcement that former offensive coordinator Joe Brady will become the team’s next head coach. It’s a five-year deal for Brady, who will be promoted from within. It’ll be his first head coaching job in the NFL. Brady becomes the 21st head coach in team history with the latest announcement.
Bills Mafia has been divided over the decision, thinking it’s just more of the same. Sometimes that’s not a bad thing, but the decision does feel a little off, given an organization poised for a rebuild of its coaching staff. Instead, they keep things the same with Brady.
Now, Buffalo has to fill out the rest of the coaching staff, and, much like Brady staying, we have a feeling we’ll see some familiar faces return. Specifically, we feel the team will look in-house for the defensive coordinator position.
Here are a few names that come to mind for the position. For this exercise, we aren’t including any outside names. Buffalo appears to want to hire within, so this will only be individuals who were with the team in 2025.
Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich
If the Buffalo Bills aren’t interested in change, why change the defensive coordinator? Bobby Babich has served as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In 2024, they ranked 11th in scoring defense, allowing just 21.6 points per game, and 17th in total defense, allowing 341.5 yards per game, according to Fox Sports.
It was a better year in 2025, with Babich getting his legs out under him. The Bills were seventh in the league in total defense, but they ranked No.1 in pass defense. The biggest issue was stopping the run, but injuries also played a part. Buffalo finished the season 28th against the run, allowing 136.2 yards per game. Babich is at the top of my list to return to the position.
Senior defensive assistant coach Ryan Nielsen
Ryan Nielsen joined Buffalo in 2025, serving as their senior defensive assistant coach. He performed well in his lone season with Buffalo, and I would not be surprised if there was a promotion for him in the works. During his single season in Buffalo, Nielsen helped lead the team to the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, allowing just 156.9 yards per game, according to Fox Sports.
Nielsen began his career in 2002 as a volunteer assistant coach with the USC Trojans. 15 years later, in 2017, he joined the New Orleans Saints, where he served as their defensive line coach until 2020. He then became the assistant head coach in 2021 and the co-defensive coordinator in 2022. In 2023, he became the Atlanta Falcons’ full-time defensive coordinator and spent 2024 as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive coordinator before coming to Buffalo.
Linebackers coach Al Holcomb
Al Holcomb has been with the Bills since 2023, serving as the senior defensive assistant coach before becoming the linebackers coach in 2024, and remaining in that position in 2025. He has a rich history of working with linebackers and some NFL experience as a defensive coordinator.
He was the DC for the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, when the team struggled, thanks in part to the roster. They ranked 26th in points allowed and 32nd in rushing yards allowed, but excelled at limiting deep passes thanks to Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson. They were fourth in the league in terms of passing defense.
Cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae
Jahmile Addae has been with the Buffalo Bills since 2024, serving as the cornerbacks coach for two seasons.
Addae spent most of his coaching career in college, spending time with Cincinnati, Arizona, Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia, and Miami. Outside of a few years as a graduate assistant and helping with the running backs, he became a defensive analyst in Arizona before becoming the team’s defensive backs coach. He jumped around the country, helping with teams defenive secondaries before entering the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 2024.
He’d be a long shot to make any waves becoming the next defensive coordinator, but his work with the cornerbacks room cannot be overstated. He’s an elite coach for the Buffalo Bills and should be given every opportunity to succeed.
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