HEADLINES

Poll: Who Will Browns Hire As Head Coach?

November 15th, 2018 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

After firing Hue Jackson, the Browns installed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams as the team’s interim head coach. This week, GM John Dorsey confirmed that Williams will be considered for the full-time post, but no matter how well the team does down the stretch, Dorsey will do his due diligence and speak with a number of candidates.

By the end of this season, the Browns will have gone through 16 straight seasons without a playoff berth and patience is obviously running thin in Cleveland. The club has a lot of confidence in Williams, who is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the NFL, but there are a number of interesting candidates for the Browns to consider this offseason. Here’s a quick glance at the field and some speculative candidates for the post:

Lincoln Riley – The Oklahoma Sooners head coach was quickly connected to the Browns thanks to his previous partnership with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Riley is still only 35 years old and in his second year as a head coach, but NFL executives seem to love his energy and passion for the game. If the Browns want Riley, they may have to compete with the Cowboys and other clubs to get him.

Josh McDaniels – Would NFL teams consider the Patriots’ offensive coordinator just one year after he left the Colts at the altar? The short answer is yes. Despite all of the hand-wringing over Tom Brady‘s age and possible discord in the Pats’ locker room, McDaniels’ offense has been clicking all season, save for a few blips such as last week’s loss to the Titans. McDaniels flopped as a young 30-something head coach with the Broncos and his flip-flop turned off a lot of people, but the Browns have to be at least a bit curious about what he could bring to the table.

Matt Campbell – Like Riley, Campbell is another coach from the college ranks who has been connected to the Browns gig. The Iowa State head coach lacks NFL experience, but Albert Breer of SI.com hears that those connected to Dorsey are big fans of his. He’s also a relative youngster, but it may make sense for the second-youngest team in the NFL to employ a 30-something head coach. His strong Ohio ties may work in his favor as well.

Jim Schwartz – The Eagles’ defensive coordinator was a hot candidate for head coaching vacancies last year and it stands to reason that he’ll draw attention again this year. Schwartz’s run as the Lions’ head coach from 2009 to 2013 did not go as planned, but the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory revitalized his career and his desire to run his own show again is evident.

Dave Toub – Ex-head coaches, offensive coordinators, and defensive coordinators usually draw the most attention, but what about a special teams coordinator? Toub has been an NFL special teams coach since 2001 and this year, the Chiefs added the title of Assistant Head Coach to his nameplate. The Chiefs’ offensive unit is understandably getting all of the headlines, but it’s possible that Toub could build off of 2017’s interviews with the Broncos and Chargers to get into the mix with Cleveland.

Matt LaFleur – LaFleur made a name for himself in Atlanta when he helped guide Matt Ryan to an MVP campaign. After that, he hooked on with the Rams and got results out of Jared Goff. He didn’t call plays as Sean McVay‘s OC, but he took the wheel this year with the Titans. The Titans’ offense has looked pretty sharp with a healthy Marcus Mariota under center and LaFleur could be considered by the Browns and other clubs with HC openings.

David Shaw – Shaw, the head coach of the Stanford Cardinals, has been connected to several NFL head coaching jobs in recent years, though he did not interview for any in the last cycle. Shaw could conceivably draw consideration here, but it wouldn’t be the sexiest pick.

George Edwards – The Vikings had the top defense in the NFL last year under Edwards’ command, allowing just 275.9 yards per game and 15.8 points per contest. Edwards obviously deserves credit for the Vikings’ success, but he’s a DC that doesn’t call the plays, and that may hurt him in his candidacy with the Browns and other teams.

John DeFilippo – The Cardinals and Bears both considered DeFilippo after his tutelage of Carson Wentz and backup-turned-hero Nick Foles. When he fell short, he jumped ship to become the offensive coordinator of the Vikings.

Zac Taylor – The Rams are living up to their lofty expectations and Goff is looking better than ever, so the Rams’ quarterbacks coach could be a candidate for the Browns. Ditto for passing game coordinator Shane Waldron. Both coaches have popped up on the lists of gambling oddsmakers and they have the endorsement of McVay. “Man, I love these guys. I don’t want to lose them though,” McVay said recently. “They’re great coaches. But I think, the one thing that you look back on is just getting an opportunity to work with these guys. What great coaches they really are. They’re great communicators, great teachers, great leaders – that’s pretty consistent throughout our staff.”

Mike McCarthy – Could Dorsey’s head coaching search lead him to an old friend? The Packers are just 4-4-1 through nine games and McCarthy is believed to be on the hot seat. As Dorsey looks to change the culture in Cleveland, he could do a lot worse than to hire someone like McCarthy, who has taken the Packers to the playoffs on nine occasions, including a Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season.

Other – There will probably be a dozen more names connected to the Browns’ opening in the coming weeks, including a few coaches who will be laid off at the end of the season. If you have another candidate in mind, choose “Other” in the poll and let us know about your pick in the comment section.

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