Rex Ryan to Bills completed; 5-year deal signed

Rex Ryan is officially staying in the AFC East. After multiple reports Sunday that the Buffalo Bills and Ryan were close to a deal that would make him the 18th head coach in club history, today the team officially announced the hire.

The team is expected to hold an introductory press conference with Ryan either Wednesday or Thursday.

Ryan joins the Bills after six seasons with the New York Jets. During that span, he recorded a 46-50 regular season record, with a 4-2 performance in the postseason. Twice Ryan's Jets were able to reach the AFC Championship game, but were unable to get the win needed for a Super Bowl appearance. The Jets fired Ryan after a 4-12 performance this past season.

The Bills joined the offseason head coaching search this year after former coach Doug Marrone opted out of his contract at the beginning of the month. The option, which became available when the Bills were sold this year following the death of founder Ralph Wilson, pays Marrone his salary for the 2015 season, but allowed him to walk away as a free agent. Marrone intially drew strong interest from the Jets, in what would effectively be a trade of head coaches between New York and Buffalo, but seems to have dropped off the radar in recent days.

Ryan's deal with the Bills is reportedly a 5-year contract worth $27.5 million. Ryan is expected to add former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman to his staff in the same position, while Jim Schwartz is expected to be retained as the team's defensive coordinator.

For more on the Ryan hiring, check out Buffalo Rumblings.