Who is promoted Bills' head coach Joe Brady? How long has 36-year-old been in NFL?

The Buffalo Bills surprisingly decided to promote from within after firing head coach Sean McDermott due to what owner Terry Pegula called "the playoff wall."

Following a week-long search that included interviews with nine different candidates, the Bills settled on incumbent offensive coordinator Joe Brady as McDermott's successor.

The 36-year-old Brady, who was Buffalo's offensive play-caller for the past 2.5 seasons, led off the interview process last Wednesday.

Bills' franchise quarterback Josh Allen, who was on the official search committee, is almost definitely comfortable with the decision to promote Brady. Allen won the 2024 NFL MVP award while operating Brady's offensivce scheme.

There's also the idea that Bills' brass was unwilling to break up the offensive coordinator-quarterback combination responsible for 28.4 points per playoff game over the past three postseasons.

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady gives instructions during drills at St. John Fisher University Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How long has Brady been on Bills' staff?

The Florida-born Brady completed his fourth full season as a Bills' coach earlier this month.

After falling victim to the Carolina Panthers' regime change, Brady landed with Buffalo as the quarterbacks coach in 2022. He succeeded Ken Dorsey, who was promoted to offensive coordinator following Brian Daboll's departure to take the New York Giants' head coaching job.

When the Bills fired Dorsey midway through the 2023 season, coincidentally in the wake of a primetime loss to the Denver Broncos, Brady took over offensive coordinator duties for the remainder of the season and has held the position since.

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Buffalo won six of seven regular season games following the 2023 change to Brady as the offensive play-caller. The offense managed 34 points in the lone loss, which came on the road in overtime against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The effectiveness of the Bills' run game has noticeably improved under Brady. Buffalo led the NFL is rushing offense (159.6) this past season.

Joe Brady watches Josh Allen — Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady, right, watches as Josh Allen (17) throws downfield at St. John Fisher University in Rochester Monday, July 25, 2022. | Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former college WR rises up coaching ranks

Brady, who saw limited snaps over four seasons as a wide receiver, graduated from William & Mary in 2013 and spent the two subsequent seasons as the NCAA FCS team's linebackers coach.

After spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons as a Penn State graduate assistant, Brady received an NFL opportunity as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and 2018.

MORE: Joe Brady's stubborn play calls cost slumping Bills two weeks in a row

In 2019, Brady returned to the collegiate ranks for one season as LSU's pass game coordinator. The Tigers won the CFP National Championship that year.

Brady returned to the NFL as the Panthers' offensive coordinator under head coach Matt Rhule in 2021.

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