Freddie Kitchens is in seventh heaven. Interview number seven for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job is number one. General manager John Dorsey, owner Jimmy Haslam and the rest of the Browns hiring committee decided to promote from within the walls of the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio.
Kitchens has made a quick rise up the coaching ranks with the Browns. He joined the Browns in 2018 as the running backs coach under former head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Once Jackson and Haley were fired, Kitchens was promoted to interim offensive coordinator. All Kitchens did as offensive coordinator in eight games was jump start one of the worst offenses in the league and turned it around.
Kitchens did a wonderful job with number one overall pick Baker Mayfield. If his franchise quarterback wins offensive rookie of the year, Kitchens deserves some of the credit.
Dorsey and Haslam wanted to keep Kitchens no matter what. They denied requests from other teams for permission to interview the offensive coordinator. They were even willing to lose out on other head coaching candidates to keep him.
The Browns are buying into the new trend in the NFL. Hire a young coordinator as head coach. It has worked the last two years. Sean McVay in 2017 with the Los Angeles Rams. Matt Nagy in 2018 with the Chicago Bears. Both coaches guided their teams to division titles and the playoffs in their first season.
One concern going forward with the hiring of Kitchens. Not only is this his first NFL head coaching job, it’s his first head coaching job at any level of football.
One of Kitchen’s first jobs as head coach is to hire a defensive coordinator. It won’t be interim head coach Gregg Williams. The Browns get Williams go Wednesday with the decision to hire Kitchens. Williams went 5-3 as interim head coach, but defensive struggles stopping the run are too much to overcome.
Scott Piker is the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage.com. So follow him on twitter @ScottPikerSport
