Chan Gailey Thomas Chandler " Chan " Gailey , Jr . ( born January 5 , 1952 ) is an American professional and college football coach . Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ( NFL ) ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL ' s Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football team . Gailey previously served as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2000 – 01 when the Dolphins posted consecutive 11 – 5 records . He was on the Pittsburgh Steelers staff from 1994 - 97 when the Steelers won four straight AFC Central titles and coached in one Super Bowl ( XXX ) . He was offensive coordinator in 1997 when Pittsburgh ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense and seventh in scoring . Gailey served as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 and three games of the 2009 pre - season before he was relieved of duties by Chiefs head coach Todd Haley . Early life and education . Gailey was born in Gainesville , Georgia in 1952 . He attended Americus High School in Americus , Georgia , where he was an Eagle Scout , and a letterman in high school football , basketball , baseball and golf . In football , he was an all - state selection as quarterback . Gailey graduated from Americus High School in 1970 . Gailey attended the University of Florida in Gainesville , Florida , where he was a three - year letterman for coach Doug Dickey ' s Florida Gators football team as a quarterback from 1971 to 1973 . Gailey graduated from Florida with a bachelor ' s degree in physical education in 1974 . Coaching career . Troy State , Air Force , Troy . Gailey stayed with Florida as a graduate assistant for two years before taking his first actual coaching job as the secondary coach for the Troy Trojans of Troy State University in Alabama . After two seasons there , he spent four seasons with the Air Force Academy , including two as defensive coordinator under head coach Ken Hatfield . In 1983 , he took over the head coaching duties at Troy , where he led the Trojans to a 12 - 1 record in 1984 en route to the Division II championship . Professional leagues ( 1984 - 1992 , 1994 - 2001 ) . Gailey moved to the National Football League the next year , when the Denver Broncos signed him as a defensive assistant and special teams coach . The team made three Super Bowl appearances during his six - year tenure . In 1991 , Gailey left the NFL to become the head coach of the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football , where the team made the playoffs in both years that he was coach . After a one - year stint as head coach at Samford University , he returned to the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers . After starting off as coach for the wide receiver s , then moved up to offensive coordinator for the 1996 and 1997 NFL season s . The Steelers won their division all four years , and made one Super Bowl appearance . In 1998 , Gailey was hired to take over a struggling Dallas Cowboys squad , one that had faltered under Barry Switzer during his last year . Gailey ' s Cowboys won the NFC East in 1998 , and made the playoffs under his two years at the reins , although they failed to win a playoff game . Gailey is the only Cowboys coach to make the playoffs every season with his team . Gailey returned to the offensive coordinator role , this time with the Miami Dolphins for the 2000 and 2001 seasons . Georgia Tech ( 2002 - 07 ) . Gailey was hired by the Yellow Jackets in 2002 to replace George O ' Leary who left to become Head Coach at the University of Notre Dame . In his first five years at Georgia Tech , he had compiled a 37 - 27 record . Georgia Tech went to bowl games each year under Gailey , and won two : the 2003 Humanitarian Bowl ( a 52 - 10 win over the University of Tulsa ) , and the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl ( a 51 - 14 victory over Syracuse University ) . Gailey compiled six winning seasons in six years at the helm . However , he never defeated Tech ' s biggest rival , the University of Georgia , never won the ACC , never went to a BCS bowl , never won more than 9 games , and never finished in the top 25 . The 2006 season was his most successful at Georgia Tech winning the ACC Coastal Division , but losing his last 3 games to rival UGA , Wake Forest in the ACC Championship Game and West Virginia in the Gator Bowl . Gailey ' s name was mentioned for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins head coaching jobs following the 2006 season , two teams for which he was offensive coordinator . Gailey got neither job . On January 19 , 2007 Gailey announced he would return to Georgia Tech . After a 7 - 5 2007 regular season and losing for the sixth straight year to the Georgia Bulldogs football team , it was announced on November 26 , 2007 that Gailey had been dismissed and his $ 1 million / year contract bought out . Back to the NFL ( 2008 - 2009 ) . Gailey was hired on January 16 , 2008 to become the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs . Gailey inherited a Chiefs offense that ranked at the bottom of the league in almost every category the previous season . He was demoted after three pre - season games in 2009 and relieved of play - calling duties by head coach Todd Haley . Gailey was out of football in 2009 . Buffalo Bills ( 2010 ) . He was introduced as the 15th head coach of the Buffalo Bills on January 19 , 2010 , replacing interim Head Coach Perry Fewell and becoming their fifth head coach in 10 years . Head coaching record . World League of American Football . Record with Birmingham Fire ! Totals | | 12 | | 7 | | 1 Coaching tree . NFL head coaches under whom Chan Gailey has served : Assistant coaches under Chan Gailey who became NFL head coaches :