It took roughly a week, but the Buffalo Bills have officially announced the first five hires of Chan Gailey’s tenure as head coach. Two coaches that spent the 2009 season in Buffalo have also been retained.

Curtis Modkins is the new offensive coordinator and running backs coach. He comes to Buffalo via Arizona, where he spent the 2009 season working with Cardinals running backs. Modkins has coached with Gailey in three separate locations - Dallas, Georgia Tech and Kansas City. He replaces Alex Van Pelt and Eric Studesville.

Bob Bicknell is the new tight ends coach, coming over from Kansas City. He coached tight ends there this past season, and was the offensive line coach under Gailey and Herman Edwards in 2008. He replaces Charlie Coiner.

Joe D’Alessandris is the new offensive line coach. If you’re sensing a pattern here, D’Alessandris, too, comes over from Kansas City, where he was fired earlier in January. He, too worked with Gailey. He replaces Sean Kugler.

Kevin Patullo is the new offensive quality control coach. Yep - he worked with Kansas City, too, in the same capacity. He replaces Nathaniel Hackett.

Giff Smith has been hired as a defensive assistant. Note the lack of the words “outside,” “linebackers” and “coach” there. As we know from yesterday’s report, Smith worked with Gailey at Georgia Tech as a recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach.

George Catavolos has been retained as the team’s secondary coach, and Bob Sanders will stay on the staff as well as a defensive assistant, though it does not appear that he has been given an official title.