Cleveland Browns coaching candidates: 6 Best replacements for Freddie Kitchens
The Cleveland Browns fired Freddie Kitchens on Sunday and have already been active in searching for a new head coach but who are their best options?
The Cleveland Browns entered the 2019 NFL season with all the hype in the world behind them. After Gregg Williams took over as interim head coach and Freddie Kitchens took over the offense in mid-2018, then-rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Browns took off to finish 7-8-1. With the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon, among others, big things were expected as Kitchens took over as head coach for 2019.
Instead, the hype fell short and the Browns became the poster-children for being overhyped. Amidst sloppy play, black marks such as the Myles Garrett helmet-swing and a litany of other dysfunctional occurrences, the team went just 6-10 on the year. As such, Cleveland fired Kitchens after a Week 17 loss to the Bengals.
Now begins the coaching search. The Browns have already been active in pursuing candidates, requesting (and being granted, in some cases) interviews with multiple big names. But after the Kitchens debacle, they need to be sure they hire the right candidate this time around.
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So who is the right coaching candidate? Let’s take a look at some of the names in the mix right now and rank them as the best options to coach the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and beyond.
Other Coaching Options
There are several other names other than the six best Cleveland Browns coaching candidates set to follow that deserve at least mentioning. One would’ve been Ron Rivera but the former Carolina head man is now off the market as Washington swooped in and landed a big fish early in the coaching searches.
Beyond that, however, there is the likelihood that the Browns could look to either Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley or former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer as possible candidates. Riley had immense success in Norman with Mayfield, so it would stand to reason that Cleveland would give a look. Meyer, meanwhile, would be a folk hero as he stayed in Ohio to save the Browns.
However, given interest elsewhere in the league, both Riley and Meyer seem like unlikely options. The same can be said of Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy and Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. Bienemy seemingly hasn’t drawn any interest from Cleveland while the bridge with Stefanski may have been burned when the Browns hired Kitchens over him in the 2019 offseason.