ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Jan. 31, 2006) -- The Buffalo Bills hired Perry Fewell to be their defensive coordinator.
Buffalo also hired George Catavolos to be its defensive backs coach, and Johnny Holland as linebackers coach.
Fewell will replace Jerry Gray, the Bills defensive coordinator since 2001. Gray was fired Jan. 30.
Under Gray, Buffalo finished with the No. 2 defense in 2003 and 2004 before plummeting to 29th this season. The Bills were the last team in the league to hire a defensive coordinator.
Fewell, who never has been a coordinator, worked with new Bills head coach Dick Jauron in 1998 when the two were in Jacksonville. Jauron was the Jaguars defensive coordinator while Fewell coached the defensive backs, staying in Jacksonville for five years.
Most recently, Fewell was in Chicago working as the Bears defensive backs coach under coach Lovie Smith. He also served as defensive backs coach for St. Louis in 2003-04.
Catavolos spent the past two seasons as the defensive backs coach with the Detroit Lions and will be entering his 22nd season as an NFL coach. Holland was in Detroit the past three seasons and was the Lions linebackers coach in 2005.
Jauron finished last season as Detroit's interim head coach.
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