[2] Buffington later returned to BYU, and after graduating from there, began a career in minor league football.
[2] He founded the North-Tri Attleboro Kings of the Eastern Football League in 1973 and served as their head coach, general manager, and owner through 1976.
[5][7] Buffington was hired by the New Jersey Generals of the new United States Football League (USFL) at the end of 1982, to serve as special teams and linebackers coach as well as a scout during the 1983 season.
[2][5] Buffington received his first professional head coaching position in 1990 with the Albany Firebirds, an expansion franchise.
[15] In the 1993 season, the Firebirds compiled a 5–7 record, but still managed to secure a playoff spot, where they lost 45–48 to the eventual ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm.
[11][17] Buffington was hired by the Las Vegas Sting as defensive coordinator in 1994, reuniting him with Babe Parilli.
[19] Instead, he received the head coach, director of player personnel and general manager job with the Connecticut Coyotes.
[11] In 1996, Buffington was named head coach and director of football operations of the Charlotte Rage.
[2] He returned to the Bobcats in 2000 as general manager,[2] and served as the interim head coach for one game, which they lost.
[11] It was his final game coaching in the Arena Football League, as he finished with an overall record of 28–53 (28–56 including playoffs).
[2] In 2007, he was hired as head coach of the New England Surge of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) on a three-year contract, but was fired mid-season after the team lost three of their first four games.
[24] He returned to coaching for a final time in 2017 with the Boston Blaze of the Can-Am Indoor Football League.
[2] Since retiring from coaching, he has participated at speaking events, youth clinics, and charitable functions.