Bruce DeHaven
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | September 6, 1948 |
| Place of birth: | Trousdale, Kansas |
| Date of death: | December 27, 2016 (aged 68) |
| Place of death: | Orchard Park, New York |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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Bruce Leroy DeHaven (September 6, 1948 – December 27, 2016) was an American football coach. Specializing in special teams coaching, DeHaven held that position for four teams in the National Football League, his longest tenure being 16 seasons over two runs with the Buffalo Bills.
Before coaching in the NFL, DeHaven was the defensive back and offensive line coach in addition to the recruiting coordinator at Kansas. He served as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at New Mexico State.
DeHaven began his professional coaching career in the United States Football League, serving as the assistant offensive line coach and special teams coordinator for the New Jersey Generals in 1983, the Pittsburgh Maulers in 1984 and the Orlando Renegades in 1985.
In 1987, DeHaven was hired as the Buffalo Bills special teams coordinator and spent 13 seasons with the Bills under that capacity and was a part of a Bills staff that won four consecutive AFC Championships. While DeHaven was the Bills special teams coordinator, kicker Steve Christie set Bills team records in 1998 with 140 points and 33 made field goals and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Also under DeHaven's coaching, 7-time gunner Steve Tasker, who was revered as one of the NFL's most fierce tacklers, had his best seasons. However, there was also Scott Norwood's missed kick in Super Bowl XXV which led to a Bills loss in Super Bowl XXV, as well as the Music City Miracle in which the Tennessee Titans performed a successful trick play in the fourth quarter which led to a Bills loss in the 1999 NFL Wild Card game. After the 1999 season, DeHaven was fired.
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