Bills Arranging Meeting With Mike Shanahan About Coaching Vacancy

After the Buffalo Bills severed ties with former head coach Dick Jauron yesterday, the team named defensive coordinator Perry Fewell as the franchise's interim head coach. Before Fewell has had an opportunity to coach in his first game, the Bills have decided to pursue other long-term options. According to ESPN, one of the leading candidates for Buffalo's head coaching position is two-time Super Bowl champion Mike Shanahan. The Bills are primed to receive confirmation for a meeting that will take place with Shanahan, who coached the Denver Broncos for 13 seasons between 1995 and 2008.

Shanahan has made it no secret in recent months that he has every intention of returning to the National Football League to pursue a head coaching vacancy for the 2010 season. The former Broncos head coach was surprisingly fired after the 2008 season when he served as the scapegoat for the team's monumental collapse in the final three games of the season, which prevented them from reaching the postseason.

While a meeting between the Bills and Shanahan is likely to be confirmed by the end of the day, it is unknown as to what Shanahan's interest level is in terms of pursuing the team's long-term head coaching vacancy. The Bills have several promising young players on their roster such as wide receiver Lee Evans, cornerback Leodis McKelvin and safety Jairus Byrd but they lack a franchise quarterback and the team has drastic needs at key positions along the offensive line.