Buffalo Bills Hire Young Defensive Mind Who Coached Free Agent Trey Hendrickson

The Bills hired their defensive line coach on Friday morning.

Purdue assistant coach Terrance Jamison watches during a football practice, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 in West Lafayette. | Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier, Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Buffalo Bills' coaching staff has continued to grow over the past few weeks, with the team's latest hire coming on the defensive side of the ball.

Terrance Jamison is set to join the Bills as their next defensive line coach, according to Adam Schefter, who reported the news on Friday morning.

Jamison is 38 years old and has spent the past decade and a half coaching at the collegiate level, where he developed ties to several talented D-linemen, including a former All-Pro who is set to become a free agent.

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Purdue assistant coach Terrance Jamison leads a drill during a football practice, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 in West Lafayette. | Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier, Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Where he’s been

Jamison has been the University of Illinois’ defensive line coach for the past five seasons, and he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator/DL coach in 2023. Before his time with the Illini, Jamison made various stops, serving as DL coach at Purdue, Air Force, Texas Tech and Florida Atlantic.

Prior to that, he was a defensive quality control coach at Cal and also served in various roles at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater. He will now coach under new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who is also a Wisconsin alumnus and a former coach within the Badgers’ football program.

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Bills are hiring Illinois co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Terrance Jamison as their Defensive Line coach.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 6, 2026

His track record

Jamison has a strong history of developing talented defensive linemen, most recently Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jen’Zhan Newton, who earned the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year under his tutelage. Newton recorded five sacks for the Washington Commanders in 2025.

He has also coached several other talented players throughout his career at the college level, including former Houston Texans edge rusher J.J. Watt, Kansas City Chiefs EDGE George Karlaftis and Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who will be a free agent this spring.

Many Bills fans may remember Hendrickson as one of the many players linked to Buffalo via trade rumors last offseason. With Jamison's addition to the coaching staff, rumors between the Bills and the prized pass rusher may be rekindled.

As it stands in early February, Jamison will take over a Bills' defensive line room featuring EDGE Greg Rousseau, DT Ed Oliver, along with Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders, who will both be entering their second year at defensive tackle. He will join a Bills’ defensive coaching staff that includes Leonhard, cornerbacks coach Jay Valai, outside linebackers coach Bobby April III and inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu.

Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive coaches David Gibbs and Terrance Jamison signal plays against the Kansas State Wildcats at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

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