On February 2, 2019, the Buffalo Bills announced that they reached an agreement with Ken Dorsey as their new quarterbacks coach. Dorsey, along with Brian Daboll, will be responsible for grooming Buffalo’s young sensation Josh Allen and helping him build off his rookie season.
Before becoming a coach, Dorsey had an excellent college career where he won a National Championship with the Miami Hurricanes. Dorsey was a multiple time First-Team All-Big East; he was also a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2001 and 2002. Dorsey ‘s professional career did not go the same. After being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, he became the backup to Alex Smith from 2003 to 2005. After San Francisco, he was signed to play for the Cleveland Browns, where he played from 2006 to 2008.
When Dorsey’s playing days were over, he trained several quarterbacks who were declaring for the 2011 NFL Draft, including Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, and Joe Webb.
From 2013 to 2017, Dorsey was the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers, and was hired to continue to work with Newton and develop into an NFL passer. He was Newton’s personal coach for his best year as a pro in 2015 when he was named league MVP, and was able to cap that season off with a Super Bowl appearance.
This hire makes a lot of sense for Buffalo as they try to groom Allen into a well-rounded athlete. Allen isn’t Newton yet. But they do share similar skill sets for the position. They both have rocket arms, ability to move and run, prefer shotgun sets, and struggle with accuracy for short and intermediate routes.
Head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane both worked with Dorsey in Carolina, so they know his work ethic and are confident that he will fit with the culture they are trying to build.
