Marrone opts out of his contract with Bills

Jan 1, 2015 - 12:07 AM Orchard Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract with the club, team owner Terry Pegula announced Wednesday.

"Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach," Pegula said in a statement.

"We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives.

"We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans."

The recent ownership change triggered a three-day opt-out clause in Marrone's contract. Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the franchise in October.

Marrone just finished his second season at the helm in Buffalo. The Bills finished with a 9-7 record in 2014, their first winning season in a decade, and were 15-17 overall in Marrone's two seasons.

The 50-year-old Marrone reportedly asked for a contract extension from the new ownership. They declined, and he opted to leave. He will still get paid the $4 million he was due from the Bills in 2015.

Prior to joining the Bills, Marrone spent four seasons as the head coach at Syracuse.

He served as Sean Payton's offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2006-08 and was the New York Jets' offensive line coach from 2002-05.