Browns coaching search: Vikings hire Zimmer, Browns are last team without head coach

Jan 5, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer before the AFC wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings have made their hire for head coach in Mike Zimmer, leaving the Cleveland Browns as the only team without a head coach.  Zimmer, 57, finally gets his chance to be a head coach after being a candidate mentioned for the past few years.  The Browns had never expressed any interest in Zimmer, presumably due to his age, so it does not change the scope of their search.

There is a certain amount of frustration that the Browns do not have their coach, but the pressure is off of them in terms of beating anyone else to the punch in that respect.  They can take their time to make this incredibly important hire and make sure they get it right.  That could take up to another three weeks.

The risk, however, is assistant coaches, and the Browns will be at a disadvantage when it comes to finding the rest of their staff whenever they do hire their head coach.  Although the talk has stopped, there were many rumors linking the Browns to Jim Schwartz as a possible defensive coordinator for whenever the Browns made their hire.  The report the Browns were asserting was false was that Schwartz had the job already.