Report: Bills likely to name Anthony Lynn full-time head coach

The Buffalo Bills named Anthony Lynn their interim head coach for Week 17 after they fired Rex Ryan, but Lynn may end up holding the title for a lot longer than that.

According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, there has been “every indication” so far that the Bills intend to name Lynn their permanent head coach after the season. As evidence of that, Carucci notes that the Bills are planning to keep general manager Doug Whaley and allow him to maintain control of building out the 53-man roster. Any outside candidate to replace Ryan may not be willing to work under those conditions.

A previous report indicated that Tom Coughlin was the front-runner to become the next Bills had coach, but the 70-year-old would almost certainly want full control of football personnel. A source told Carucci New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would be interested in interviewing with Buffalo, but he too would want final say over the 53-man roster.

If that’s the case, the Bills must have a lot of confidence in Whaley, whose decision to hire Rex Ryan did not work out. It’s also possible that the organization feels strongly about Lynn, who is expected to draw head coaching interest from other NFL teams. In any event, the Bills may have already found their man.