The Buffalo Bills surprised NFL fans in January 2026 when they elevated offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach after the team fired Sean McDermott.
Despite being the NFL’s youngest head coach at the time of his hiring, Brady is a veteran coach with college and pro experience. Buffalo will be his first head coaching job, and it came after another disappointing playoff defeat for the Bills. Buffalo did not reach the Super Bowl during McDermott’s tenure despite his 98-50 record through nine seasons.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who team owner Terry Pegula said would have input on who the team hired to replace McDermott, has spoken glowingly about Brady.
“[Brady’s] one of the most positive guys in the building,” Allen said during the 2025 season, per ESPN. “He’s always got juice and energy for the guys. I think that’s something that we love and appreciate about him, and he’s as real as they come.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Joe Brady.
No, Joe Brady Is Not Related to Tom Brady
Bills coach Joe Brady may have one of the most famous last names in football, but he is not related to legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Joe Brady Married His Wife, Lauren Brady, in 2022
Lauren and Joe Brady Courtesy of Joe Brady/Instagram
Joe Brady and his wife, Lauren Brady (née Bateman), got engaged in 2021 and married the following year at a vineyard in Carmel Valley, California.
“6.25.22 was a dream, and so is forever with you,” Lauren wrote via Instagram alongside a carousel of wedding photos.
Joe Brady and Lauren Brady Have 2 Kids
Joe and Lauren Brady with their son, Jordan Courtesy of Lauren Brady/Instagram
Joe and Lauren Brady had their first child, son Jordan, in 2023. They also welcomed a daughter in November 2025, but have not publicly revealed her name.
After the Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-7, on November 30, Josh Allen shouted out Joe in the postgame press conference and gave him the game ball.
“Offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Baby girl today,” Allen said.
Joe also acknowledged the newborn after the game, adding #GirlDad to his usual “1-0” message that he posts via X after wins.
Former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott broke his silence after his surprising termination on Monday, January 19. “For nearly a decade, I have had the opportunity to wake up every morning as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, which has truly been a gift,” McDermott, 51, wrote on Monday. “I want to express […]
Joe Brady Played Wide Receiver at William & Mary
Though Joe Brady never played professional football, he was a wide receiver at the College of William & Mary from 2009 to 2012 and was a member of the Tribe’s 2010 Colonial Athletic Association championship team. A two-time All-CAA academic honoree, Joe earned dual degrees in process management and consulting, and kinesiology and health science.
Upon graduation, his first coaching job came with William & Mary, as he was named linebackers coach the next season.
Joe Brady Won a National Championship at LSU
Following his time at William & Mary, Joe Brady was a graduate assistant at Penn State and an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints. He joined the Louisiana State University coaching staff in 2019, winning a national championship in his lone season in Baton Rouge behind quarterback Joe Burrow, and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
Joe won the Broyles Award that year, given annually to the best assistant coach in the country.
