AP

The Bills interviewed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coaching opening, but they opted to go with another defensive mind to replace Doug Marrone.

We’re waiting on an official announcement that Rex Ryan is going to be the team’s next head coach after Sunday’s reports that Ryan has agreed in principle to a deal that keeps him in the AFC East after being let go by the Jets. That’s left Schwartz in limbo as he and Ryan have utilized very different defensive approaches over their careers.

Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports that the Bills want to keep Schwartz on the staff and Adam Caplan of ESPN reports that Schwartz has spoken to Ryan and plans to meet with him once the deal is official. It would be a somewhat unusual but intriguing working relationship between two successful defensive architects. It would allow the Bills to maintain continuity with this year’s successful unit while working some new looks into the mix in hopes of keeping things rolling into 2015.

Schwartz will likely have other options as a defensive coordinator should things not work out for a return to Buffalo for the 2015 season with the Giants and teams still waiting to hire head coaches looming as potential fits.