AC

Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract as coach of the Buffalo Bills and is now a free agent to pursue other jobs. Marrone exercised the unique option during the final hours of a three-day window that opened Monday, stipulated in the four-year contract he signed with the Bills in 2013. The opt-out clause was included in the original contract in the event of an ownership change, which occurred when Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the franchise in October. "We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization," Bills owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "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." While...