BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBTV) – A former Carolina Panthers assistant coach has been hired as the head coach of another NFL team.
Joe Brady — who was an offensive coordinator under Matt Rhule — was hired Jan. 27 as the next Buffalo Bills head coach.
Brady was with the Panthers for the entirety of the 2020 season and most of the next before he was fired in December 2021. Many viewed Brady as a scapegoat for Rhule’s struggles.
Following that tumultuous 2021 season in Carolina, Brady joined the Bills as their quarterbacks coach in 2022.
He entered 2023 in the same role with Buffalo before he took over as interim offensive coordinator midseason. He was given the coordinator role permanently in 2024 and kept it in 2025.
Working with star quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills’ offense ranked second and fourth in the NFL in scoring during Brady’s two full seasons as the coordinator. During that time, no other team ran for more touchdowns.
At 36 years old, Brady is now the youngest head coach in the NFL. He will take over for Sean McDermott, who is another former Panthers coordinator. McDermott called Carolina’s defense from 2011-2016 before the Bills hired him in 2017.
Despite Brady’s relative youth, Brady has eight years of NFL coaching experience, as well as five seasons at the collegiate level. During his most recent college season — which came right before the Panthers hired him — he helped engineer the most prolific scoring offense in college football history.
Now at the pinnacle of coaching, Brady signed a five-year contract for his new position, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Also Read: Star quarterback from Charlotte leads New England Patriots to Super Bowl
Copyright 2026 WBTV. All rights reserved.
