Tollner Says He Has Agreed to Take Job as Wide Receivers Coach of Bills

Ted Tollner, USC’s former football coach, will became wide receivers coach for the Buffalo Bills.

Tollner said Thursday night that some details haven’t been worked out, but a decision has been made and he’ll soon join the Bills.

He also said that he was a candidate for the vacated head coaching job at the University of Hawaii, but the timing wasn’t right to pursue that opportunity.

“I’ve been talking to the Buffalo people for a week, and they were waiting for a decision,” Tollner said. “The Hawaii job just opened up, and they’re not ready to make a decision yet on a coach. As you know, timing is everything.”

Tollner, who was released as USC’s coach Dec. 8, said he still hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to college football.

“I like the opportunity of college coaching because you affect the lives of so many young people,” he said. “This (NFL) is a different type of challenge, and that’s the direction I’m going now.”

Tollner has not been a professional coach previously. He was an assistant coach at San Diego State, Brigham Young and USC before succeeding John Robinson as the Trojans’ head coach in 1983.