Cleveland Browns Coaching Rumors: Bill O’Brien another candidate?
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O’Brien.
The Cleveland Browns decided to fire head coach Rob Chudzinski before he had a full year on the job, and the Browns have entered the head coaching search just a day before “Black Monday”. Chudzinski’s firing was a surprise, and there is a lot of criticism being levied against Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner for firing Chud after just one season with a rebuilding team and no franchise quarterback.
The NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported before Chud’s firing yesterday that Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels are “likely” two coaching candidates for the Browns, and it will be interesting to see if either of them receive interviews. I would be shocked if McDaniels doesn’t receive an interview from the Browns, because he’s already been linked heavily to their head coaching vacancy. Even though his only stint as a head coach was a disaster with the Denver Broncos, McDaniels does share a Bill Belichick link with Browns GM Michael Lombardi and is still highly regarded for his ability to lead an offense.
It’s interesting to see that Bill O’Brien is mentioned as a head coaching candidate for the Browns, but it’s hardly a surprise. O’Brien is one of the most attractive names on the market, and it would be a surprise to see him stay in the college ranks. I wouldn’t consider him a lock to leave Penn State, but he’s getting an awful lot of interest from NFL teams and is reportedly close to being hired by the Houston Texans.
San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has been rumored to be involved in the Browns head coaching search, and it will be interesting to see how interested the Browns are in him. It’s clear that the Browns really want a head coach who cuts his teeth on the offensive side of the ball, especially since they don’t have a franchise quarterback.