With an opening on his coaching staff, Bills head coach Chan Gailey and his defensive staff hosted former Gailey colleague Dave Wannstedt at One Bills Drive Thursday.
"It's not me that he needs to meet with," Gailey told Buffalobills.com. "He's meeting with the defensive staff which is the biggest meeting. He and I have known each other a long time and I have a great deal of respect for Dave."
Wannstedt resigned as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh just last month after a 7-5 campaign in 2010, his sixth as the Panthers' sideline boss. A former head coach in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, Wannstedt has an NFL head coaching record of 82-87.
He previously worked with Gailey when the Bills head coach served as his offensive coordinator for two seasons in Miami (2000-2001) with the Dolphins making the playoffs in both seasons.
"He's extremely knowledgeable," said Gailey. "He's a great human being. A great team guy and he would bring some intensity to our team because I know what burns inside of him."
Wannstedt experienced his greatest success as a defensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson winning a national championship at the University of Miami (1987) and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys (1992).
There is a vacancy on Buffalo's defensive staff following the release of inside linebackers coach DeMontie Cross last week. It's presumed that Wannstedt's role could entail more than that, but at this point Gailey indicated that at this point things have not gotten that specific.
"We would talk about what exactly those duties would be," said Gailey.
Buffalo's head coach clearly thinks that whatever role Wannstedt might serve his staff would be decidedly better with his former colleague on it.
"I think he would be a very good fit, but it remains to be seen if this is something he would like to do or not," Gailey said. "So he'll have to think about it and see what direction he wants to go."
Reports have also indicated that a few other NFL clubs have contacted Wannstedt about potential coaching opportunities including Cleveland and San Diego. The Chargers also have a head coach that shares a coaching history with Wannstedt in Norv Turner.
