Orchard Park, NY – The Buffalo Bills today announced that Mike Pettine (pronounced PET-in) has been hired as the team's defensive coordinator.
Pettine will enter his 12th year in the NFL coaching ranks in 2013 and fifth as a defensive coordinator. He served in the same capacity with the New York Jets from 2009-12 overseeing a defense that finished in the top 10 in total defense each year.
Pettine's 2012 defense limited their opponents to the second-fewest passing yards per game (189.8) and finished fifth in the AFC in total defense (323.4 total yards per game).
Over the last four years, the Jets' defense held opposing passers to an NFL-low 71.0 quarterback rating, completion percentage (52.6%), passing yards (186.3 per game). New York forced the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (29.4%). The Jets' defense yielded the second-fewest yards per game (294.8) and posted a 34.6 third-down efficiency mark while holding their opponents to an average of 20.0 points per game (seventh-fewest in the league). New York's defense recorded 115 takeaways in Pettine's four-year tenure – the second-most in the AFC (seventh in the NFL). New York had nine 100-yard receiving games against from 2009-2012, the fewest in the league.
Pettine implemented a completely new defense that finished first in points allowed (14.8 points per game), total defense (252.3 yards per game) and pass defense (153.7 passing yards per game) in his first year with the Jets in 2009 and as a defensive coordinator.
Prior to joining the Jets, Pettine was a member of the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff for seven years from 2002-08. In his last four seasons with the Ravens, he coached the outside linebackers as part of a defensive unit that ranked fifth (2005), first (2006), sixth (2007) and second (2008) in the NFL. Before being promoted to a position coach, Pettine was a defensive assistant working with the defensive line in 2004 after two years serving as coaching and video assistant and in a quality control role.
Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, Pettine was the head coach at North Penn (Towamencin Township, PA). He led the school to 45 wins in five years including an 11-2 mark in 1999. He also served as the head coach at William Tennent (Warminster, PA) High School for two years, leading the team to a school-record nine wins in 1996.
