With the offensive and defensive coordinator positions both settled in Buffalo, who will be coaching the third phase of football still had yet to be confirmed by the Bills. Clarity in that position was found on Monday night.
The Bills announced on Monday that Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, who has served on the same staff as Bills head coach Doug Marrone previously, has been hired to be the special teams coordinator in Buffalo. Still having a year left in his contract with Detroit, Crossman asked for his release.
Crossman and Marrone both played with the World Football League's London Monarchs from 1991 to 1992. Each man also was on the coaching staff of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1993.
Crossman has been a special teams coordinator for a total of eight seasons in the NFL. He's been with the Lions for each of the past three seasons, and held the same job with the Carolina Panthers from 2005 through 2009.
In their yearly breakdown of overall special teams' performances, FootballOutsiders.com had Crossman's 2012 unit ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the NFL. In 2011, the Lions were 29th according to the website's rating system. In 2010, however, Detroit's special teams ranked 11th in the league.
He had similar results while in Carolina. In 2007, the Panthers ranked 30th out of 32 teams. In Crossman's final year with the Panthers in 2009 they were ranked 29th. However, sandwiched in between the two years, Carolina's special teams ranked 10th in the NFL according to the website.
His first year on the job was his most successful, with the Panthers ranking 5th. In 2006, they were 24th.
Keep checking back to WGR Sports Radio 550 and WGR550.com for all the latest on the Bills' search for a coaching staff.
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