18th year in the NFL
3rd year with the Bills
The Buffalo Bills continued to improve in 2011 under second year Head Coach Chan Gailey and steadily worked towards their goal of making the playoffs with victories that were described by some as the most exciting and impressive wins in the past 15 years.
Gailey became the 15th head coach in Bills history when he was named to the position on January 19th, 2010. Now in his 18th season in the NFL coaching ranks, Gailey is recognized league-wide for his successful offenses, though he has coached all three phases of the game during his vast coaching career.
Gailey has over three decades of coaching experience, including head coaching stints in college, World League and the NFL. Gailey served as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1998-99, leading the Cowboys to playoff berths in each season and compiling an 18-14 regular season record. Gailey also has four stints as offensive coordinator in the NFL with Denver (1989-90), Pittsburgh (1996-97), Miami (2000-01) and Kansas City (2008).
With the Cowboys in 1998, Gailey became the first coach in NFC Eastern Division history to lead his team to a perfect 8-0 record in division play and a 10-6 overall record. Also in 1998, his Dallas squad ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in total offense (eighth – 340.6 ypg), rushing (eighth – 125.9 ypg), scoring (ninth- 23.8 ppg) and passing (ninth – 214.8 ypg). He followed that with an 8-8 campaign in 1999 and his second consecutive playoff appearance.
In his two seasons as the Cowboys head coach, Dallas scored 37 rushing touchdowns, the fourth-highest total in the NFL over the two year timeframe.
Gailey’s resume speaks for itself, he has spent 11 of his previous 17 NFL seasons as either a head coach or offensive coordinator. During those 11 seasons, his teams have made the playoffs seven times and boasted a 1,000-yard rusher on seven different occasions. In total, he has made playoff appearances in 11 of his 17 seasons in NFL coaching. His resume also boasts four Super Bowl berths, including one with Pittsburgh (XXX) and three with Denver (XXI, XXII and XXIV).
Gailey served as the head coach at Georgia Tech from 2002-07, becoming the first coach in school history to lead the Yellow Jackets to bowl appearance in his first six seasons. He compiled a 44-33 overall record and his squad averaged 199.3 rushing ypg, which led the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2007 and finished third in the conference in total offense with 384.9 ypg that season.
In 2006, the Yellow Jackets featured the 2006 Biletnikoff Award winner and number two overall draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft in WR Calvin Johnson (Detroit). The ACC Player of the Year caught 78 passes for a single-season record 1,202 yards with 15 touchdown receptions, tying for second-most in the country.
A total of 46 Yellow Jackets coached by Gailey in his six seasons at Georgia Tech were either selected in the NFL’s annual Draft Selection or were signed to a free-agent contract with an NFL team.
In 2008, Gailey returned to the NFL as the offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs had a duo of 1,000-yard receivers - TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Dwayne Bowe - marking the third time in team history.
His coaching experience is so wide-ranging that it includes stints coaching defense and special teams, in addition to his success on the offensive side of the ball. In fact, he owns the distinction of serving as both a head coach and defensive coordinator on the collegiate level, as well as stints as a head coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL ranks.
Gailey began his NFL career as an assistant with the Denver Broncos from 1985-90 under head coach Dan Reeves. He served as offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach (1989-90), quarterbacks/wide receivers coach (1988), tight ends/special teams coach (1986-87) and defensive assistant/special teams coach (1985). During his six years in Denver, the Broncos developed into one of the league’s most potent passing attacks centering around Hall of Fame signal-caller John Elway. With Gailey as the team’s offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach in 1989, the Broncos advanced to Super Bowl XXIV.
In 1991, Gailey left the NFL to become the head coach of the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football, where his team made the playoffs in both years with him at the helm.
After a one-year stint as the head coach at Samford University, Gailey returned to the NFL as wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1994-95, before being promoted to offensive coordinator (1996-97). During that four-year run alongside head coach Bill Cowher, the Steelers won four straight AFC Central crowns, appeared in three AFC Championship Games and earned a berth in Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 campaign.
During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he was credited with implementing the “Slash” offense that featured the skills of multi-talented QB Kordell Stewart. In 1996, Gailey’s first season as offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh ranked second in the NFL in rushing, averaging 143.7 ypg. The following season the Steelers led the league in rushing with 154.9 ypg on the ground. During the 1997 season, Pittsburgh ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense (346.4 ypg) and was seventh in scoring (23.3 ppg). RB Jerome Bettis enjoyed the two most productive seasons of his career with Gailey as his offensive coordinator. Bettis tallied 1,431 rushing yards in 1996 and followed that up with a career-high 1,665 rushing yards in 1997.
The Americus, Georgia native served as offensive coordinator in Miami under head coach Dave Wannstedt from 2000-2001, when the Dolphins posted back-to-back 11-5 records and earned playoff berths each season. The Dolphins averaged 118.4 rushing ypg in 2000, the team’s best output since 1984.
In total, Gailey has 15 years of head coaching experience, nine seasons in college, two seasons in the World League and four seasons in the NFL. His overall regular season record as a head coach is 108-86-1.
Prior to joining the NFL ranks, he served as the head coach at Troy State for two seasons (1983-84), where he led the Trojans to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1984.
PERSONAL
A former collegiate quarterback at the University of Florida, Gailey was a three-year letterwinner for the Gators. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Florida (1974-75) before coaching defensive backs at Troy State. Gailey also spent four years at Air Force, serving as a defensive assistant (1979-80) and defensive coordinator (1981-82). Gailey was an all-state quarterback at Americus High School in Americus, Georgia. Gailey and his wife, Laurie, have two sons, Tate and Andrew. The Gailey’s also have five grandsons.
NFL
2010- Buffalo Bills Head Coach
2008 Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator
2000-01 Miami Dolphins Offensive Coordinator
1998-99 Dallas Cowboys Head Coach
1996-97 Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator
1994-95 Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receivers
1989-90 Denver Broncos Offensive Coordinator/ Receivers
1988 Denver Broncos Quarterbacks/ Receivers
1986-87 Denver Broncos Special Teams/ Tight Ends
1985 Denver Broncos Special Teams/ Defensive Asst.
College
2002-07 Georgia Tech Head Coach
1993 Samford University Head Coach
1983-84 Troy State Head Coach
1981-82 Air Force Defensive Coordinator
1979-80 Air Force Defensive Assistant
1976-78 Troy State Secondary
1974-75 Florida Graduate Assistant
WLAF
1991-92 Birmingham Fire Head Coach
YEAR LOCATION RECORD ACHIEVEMENTS
1974 University of Florida (Graduate Assistant) 8-4 Lost Sugar Bowl
1975 University of Florida (Graduate Assistant) 9-3 Lost Gator Bowl
1976 Troy State (Secondary) 8-1-1 Gulf South Conf. Champs
1977 Troy State (Secondary) 6-4
1978 Troy State (Secondary) 8-2
1979 Air Force (Defensive Assistant) 2-9
1980 Air Force (Defensive Assistant) 2-9-1
1981 Air Force (Defensive Coordinator) 4-7
1982 Air Force (Defensive Coordinator) 8-5 Won Hall of Fame Bowl
1983 Troy State (Head Coach) 7-4
1984 Troy State (Head Coach) 12-1 NCAA Division II Champion
1985 Denver Broncos (Special Teams/Defensive Ast.) 11-5 2nd AFC West
1986 Denver Broncos (Special Teams/Tight Ends) 11-5 1st AFC West - AFC Champions
1987 Denver Broncos (Special Teams/Tight Ends) 10-4-1 1st AFC West - AFC Champions
1988 Denver Broncos (Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers) 8-8 2nd AFC West
1989 Denver Broncos (Offensive Coordinator/Wide Rec.) 11-5 1st AFC West - AFC Champions
1990 Denver Broncos (Offensive Coordinator/Wide Rec.) 5-11 5th AFC West
1991 Birmingham Fire (Head Coach) 5-5 Lost First Round Playoffs
1992 Birmingham Fire (Head Coach) 7-2-1 Lost First Round Playoffs
1993 Samford University (Head Coach) 5-6
1994 Pittsburgh Steelers (Receivers) 12-4 1st AFC Central - Lost AFC Championship
1995 Pittsburgh Steelers (Receivers) 11-5 1st AFC Central - AFC Champions
1996 Pittsburgh Steelers (Offensive Coordinator) 10-6 1st AFC Central - Lost 2nd Round Playoffs
1997 Pittsburgh Steelers (Offensive Coordinator) 11-5 1st AFC Central - Lost AFC Championship
1998 Dallas Cowboys (Head Coach) 10-6 1st NFC East - Lost First Round Playoffs
1999 Dallas Cowboys (Head Coach) 8-8 2nd NFC East - Lost First Round Playoffs
2000 Miami Dolphins (Offensive Coordinator) 11-5 1st AFC East - Lost 2nd Round Playoffs
2001 Miami Dolphins (Offensive Coordinator) 11-5 2nd AFC East - Lost First Round Playoffs
2002 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 7-6 Silicon Valley Classic
2003 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 7-6 Humanitarian Bowl Champions
2004 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 7-5 Champs Sports Bowl Champions
2005 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 7-5 Emerald Bowl
2006 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 9-5 ACC Coastal Champions - Gator Bowl
2007 Georgia Tech (Head Coach) 7-5
2008 Kansas City Chiefs (Offensive Coordinator) 2-14
2010 Buffalo Bills (Head Coach) 4-12
2011 Buffalo Bills (Head Coach) 6-10
