Wide receivers coach Chad Hall latest to leave Buffalo Bills: What to know about changes

If there is one thing we knew for certain about Chad Hall, it’s that the Buffalo Bills wide receivers that he coached loved him.

So Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and the others probably aren’t thrilled to learn that Hall is reportedly leaving Buffalo to join Doug Pederson’s staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hall’s contract with the team expired, and he’s making a lateral move to join the Jaguars, an indication that either the Bills want to move in a different direction or Hall is looking for a change of scenery.

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Chad Hall's career

Hall was an original member of Sean McDermott’s staff who came to the Bills in 2017 having never coached in the NFL. He started as a generic offensive assistant and then was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2019.

The 36-year-old Hall attended the Air Force Academy and played running back for the football team. In 2007, he set the Air Force school record with 275 rushing yards against Army, and that season he was in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy as he led the Falcons in both rushing and receiving yards. He finished third in the country in all-purpose yards and was named Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year.

After serving a two-year active stint as a second lieutenant, and going undrafted in the NFL, he had tryouts with the Bills and Falcons before eventually signing a contract with the Eagles in 2010. He played parts of four seasons between 2010 and 2013 for the Eagles, 49ers and Chiefs. He caught 16 passes for 155 yards and two TDs in 24 games.

Hall was one of the most energetic coaches on the Bills staff, and in 2020 the receivers gifted Hall a new truck for Christmas.

Diggs has said that Hall is one of the best position coaches he has ever had, and Diggs has thrived in Buffalo with three straight 100-catch seasons. But in 2022, the receiving group as a whole underachieved. Davis struggled most of the season and failed to build on his record-breaking game in the playoff loss to Kansas City and Isaiah McKenzie did not take advantage of his opportunity to replace Cole Beasley as the primary slot receivers.

Hall is heading into a good situation in Jacksonville, a team on the rise and coming off an AFC South division title and a stunning come-from-behind wild-card victory over the Chargers. The Jaguars receiving corps features Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Marvin Jones catching passes from 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence.

Other Buffalo Bills coaching changes

Losing Hall is one of several changes that have occurred on McDermott’s staff since the end of the season.

Safeties coach Jim Salgado was fired and was quickly replaced by Joe Danna. Assistant offensive line coach Ryan Wendell is reportedly set to join the Los Angeles Rams as the primary line coach. His spot in Buffalo has not been filled, but McDermott added a defensive coach by hiring Al Holcomb to be a senior assistant.

Danna brings 15 years of NFL experience to Buffalo as he has worked for the Falcons (2008-09), Dolphins (2010-11), Falcons again (2012-14), the Jets (2015-16), the Jaguars (2017-20) and most recently with the Texans.

Holcomb has been in the NFL since 2009 and he spent five seasons in Carolina as linebackers coach, the first four of those years with McDermott as defensive coordinator. He left the Panthers in 2018 to become defensive coordinator of the Cardinals and had been back with the Panthers since 2020 working as the defensive run game coordinator.

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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills coaching changes: What to know about 2023 turnover