Football: Wannstedt joins Buffalo Bills

Former head football coach Dave Wannstedt will join the Buffalo Bills as assistant head coach,… Former head football coach Dave Wannstedt will join the Buffalo Bills as assistant head coach, working primarily with the inside linebackers, the NFL team announced today.

“I’m excited to be part of this coaching staff and am looking forward to making a difference with this defense,” Wannstedt said in an article posted on the Bills’ website.

His excitement provided a stark contrast to his last public appearance. When Wannstedt, who resigned from Pitt under pressure last month, met with reporters in Pittsburgh about two weeks ago, he declined to say whether he would ever coach again and noted that he planned to take a break.

Wannstedt could immediately be reached for comment.

A Pitt alumnus, he served as head coach at the University for six seasons, accumulating a 42-31 record. Before that, he served as a head coach for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears and as a defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, helping the Texas team win a 1992 Super Bowl.

At Pitt, he was a popular coach with the players — some of whom cried when he announced his resignation — and with some alumni. A few five-figure donors threatened to stop giving money to the University after Wannstedt resigned and his first replacement, Michael Haywood, was arrested and subsequently fired.

Former Tulsa head coach Todd Graham currently serves as the Panthers head coach.

When Wannstedt announced he was stepping down, Athletic Director Steve Pederson offered him a position as special assistant to the athletic director.