Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - Buffalo Bills general manager and now president of football operations Brandon Beane took exception to the perception that there was a power struggle between him and former head coach Sean McDermott, who was fired on Monday.
"There's disagreements all throughout, way before this year," Beane said during a press conference alongside owner Terry Pegula on Wednesday. "It's not like we were 100% always in agreement on every decision that he made or I made."
Beane pushed back on the notion that he and McDermott were at odds over roster construction, and that that had a hand in McDermott's dismissal.
"That's hurtful to even hear that or say that," he said. "I worked 19 seasons, starting as an intern in Carolina, and worked my way up. I came here and I've never tried to do that. I would love for anyone who's making that accusation to walk in these doors and ask any person - player, coach, trainer, anyone. People can disagree with draft picks that I make, or people I sign, or I screwed up the wide receivers. Whatever it is. Those are harmful, harmful things. I walk in the door and my wife's got tears coming down her face for stuff like that. I'm going to damn try hard to win a Super Bowl here, I am. But for somebody to question my character like that is B.S. I've never done that."
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Beane, who was given the additional title of president of football Operations, says he will exact the same kind of relationship with the next head coach.
"That just comes with the territory, and I would expect that with the next head coach," je said. "There's certain things that fall in his area, whether it's managing a game, how we scheme a game, whatever it is that are his. And then there's certain decisions that personnel related, somebody's got to make the final call."
As far as who that coach may be, or what the team is looking for, Beane says they will be very open to every possibility.
"We have a group of us that are going to work together to hire the head coach," he said. "It'll be Terry, myself, Pete [Guelli], Brian Gaine, Terrence Gray - both of our assistant GMs - Laura Pegula, and Josh [Allen] will have some involvement as well.
"It's 100% an open search. We're still sorting through the names, we're vetting names. The list is not final and there's still four teams playing, too, that could have some candidates. By the rule, we can't interview any of those until their seasons are complete. But it's an open process. There is no front runner. Old, young, former coach, first-time coach. We're opening every door. We've got to find the right guy for this team to help get us over the hump."
As of Wednesday morning, the Bills had reportedly requested interviews with six different coaches for their head coach vacancy.
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