Bills General Manager Buddy Nix apparently will have some help this season now as it looks like the team has hired or is about to bring on Doug Whaley as the assistant general manager.

NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reported it first via his Twitter page. La Canfora reported that the Bills had indeed offered the position to Whaley, but nothing was official. Now, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that it is a done deal, and the Bills also said on their web site that an offer was made.

Whaley comes to the Bills from one of the most well-respected organizations; the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whaley, 37, has been with the Steelers for the past 10 years, and his name has been mentioned for some GM openings in the past. Whaley has a great opportunity lying ahead of him as Nix is 70 and probably would look for someone he could hand the job off to.

The Bills have yet to name a defensive coordinator, but now with national signing day in the books, a hire could come as early as Thursday since college coaches now have more freedom to move.

Check back to the Bills Blog Blitz for all the latest news on your Buffalo Bills. You can also follow us on Twitter @BillsBlogBlitz.

TERRY LONG

On Monday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills announced the hiring of three more assistants to Chan Gailey's coaching staff.

Bruce DeHaven (Special Teams Coach): Buffalo fans remember this man, considering he was with the team from 1987-99. They also will remember him for taking all the blame in the "Music City Miracle" when his unit gave up the winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs in 1999. Wade Phillips, then Bills' head coach, gave DeHaven the axe; someone had to take the blame. Dehaven has been credited for the success of special teams standouts Steve Tasker and Mark Pike with the Bills.

His kickoff coverage unit ranked first in the NFL for four straight seasons with the Bills. Since his departure from Buffalo, DeHaven has worked for the 49ers (2000-02), Cowboys (2003-06) and Seahawks (2007-09).

George Cortez (Quarterbacks Coach): This will be Cortez's first taste of the NFL, bringing along plenty of experience from the collegiate level to the CFL. Cortez was most recently the offensive coordinator for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. He has coached for 18 seasons in the Canadian Football League, serving as offensive coordinator for three Grey Cup title teams in Calgary (1998, 2001, 2008).

Cortez has also worked closely with former Pro Bowl NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia during his time in the CFL and signal-callers Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller when he was the offensive coordinator for the University of California.

Stan Hixon (Wide Receivers Coach): Hixon comes to the Bills from the Washington Redskins, where he held the same position for the past six seasons. Along with his NFL experience, he also brings 24 years experience from the collegiate ranks. He worked closely with current Bills free agent WR Josh Reed while Reed attended LSU. Reed received the Biletnikoff award as the top wide receiver in college football while under the tutelage of Hixon.

Gailey also retained Adrian White on his coaching staff. White served as the Bills' defensive quality control coach for the past two seasons under former head coach Dick Jauron. He also was involved with coaching the secondary, who we all know was the lone bright spot in such a disappointing year for the team as a whole.

The much anticipated hiring of a defensive coordinator will have to wait. Rumors are circulating that Gailey is waiting for the national signing day to be completed (Wednesday) so that recruits won't be affected by the hiring. This, if true, could point to the Bills going to the collegiate ranks to find their next defensive coordinator. Stay tuned.

As always, follow us on Twitter @BillsBlogBlitz for all the latest news with the Bills.

TERRY LONG

The Buffalo Bills announced the hirings today of five new assistant coaches, along with two staying on board from Dick Jauron’s staff.

Offensive coordinator/running backs coach: Curtis Modkins

Tight ends coach: Bob Bicknell

Offensive line coach: Joe D'Alessandris

Offensive quality control coach: Kevin Patullo

Defensive assistant: Giff Smith

New Bills head coach Chan Gailey issued a statement through the team’s official website talking about the new additions to the coaching staff. "Right now we are happy with the coaches that we have been able to get on the staff," Gailey said in a statement. "Ultimately, we want to make sure we get the right guys; great teachers, great communicators and the right kind of people for the Bills. These coaches give us a great start in that direction."

Staying on Buffalo's staff is secondary coach George Catavolos and defensive line coach Bob Sanders. Catavolos and his secondary had a spectacular year, snagging 21 of the 28 interceptions by the team. Bills rookie safety Jairus Byrd had nine of those interceptions.

“I’m ecstatic about him being back,” said Byrd of Catavolos. “The way he handles players, especially being a young player that still has a lot to learn, I learned a lot from him. He knows what each player requires in order to make them better. He’s just a people person. I could go on and on about how he has helped me develop and the way he pulls the best out of me.”

Sanders helped the Bills defensive line with their pass rush, getting 32 total sacks on the year. Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay is happy that Sanders was kept on the staff.

“I’m just glad that coach Sanders is back,” said Kelsay, who posted the second-best sack total of his career in 2009. “I feel I put a decent season together individually and I think that’s a credit to Bob and how much I learned from him.”

Gailey is still searching for a new defensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. He will also be adding new staff to coach specific positional positions.

Check back to the Bills Blog Blitz for further coverage and an in-depth look at the new coaching staff. You can also follow us on Twitter @BillsBlogBlitz.

TERRY LONG

New Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey has been busy this past week trying to secure a new coaching staff for the Bills in 2010. Numerous reports have come out regarding coordinator positions, so here is the latest:

Offensive Coordinator: Mike Jurecki of XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix is reporting that Arizona running backs coach Curtis Modkins is headed to Buffalo to become the Bills new offensive coordinator. Jurecki reports that the Bills requested permission from Arizona to interview Modkins, and after a few days, the two sides came to an agreement late Friday night. Gailey and Modkins worked together in 2008 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Modkins will have the title of offensive coordinator, but Gailey will still be the play-caller.

Defensive Coordinator: The Boston Herald is reporting that former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees is in the mix to be the new defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. His contract expired following the 2009 season, and Pees himself decided he did not want to return to the Patriots, but he decided on Tuesday to go to the Ravens as the linebackers coach.

Former Bills coach staying?: Brian Galliford from BuffaloRumblings.com is reporting that there will be at least one coach from Dick Jauron's old staff that has interviewed with Gailey and been offered a position to stay with the team. Speculation is that it could be either defensive line coach Bob Sanders (gray shirt in the picture) or defensive backs coach George Catavolos.

Keep it here to the Bills Blog Blitz for all the latest developments on Gailey's coaching staff hirings. You can also follow us on Twitter @BillsBlogBlitz.

TERRY LONG

This is the excitement of the off-season - the rumors. Half of which, won't even come to fruition. It's always fun to speculate.

According to 1090 Sports Radio in San Diego, Jim Bates will interview for the defensive coordinator opening in Buffalo. The source isn't exactly rock solid, but this isn't something you'd necessarily fabricate out of thin air.

If true, Bates will bring even more experience to the Queen City. He's been involved with NFL coaching since 1991. He's had stints in Cleveland, Miami, Green Bay, Denver, and most recently Tampa Bay, where he was let go during the 2009 season. He is an advocate of the 4-3 defense.

In addition, reports have emerged (first from WIVB-TV in Buffalo) that former Giants, Broncos, and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves may be interested in the same position. He last coached in 2003 in Atlanta.

Maybe Buffalo wasn't as bad of a situation as we initially believed.

Stay tuned..

CHRIS TRAPASSO