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Cleveland Browns: Potential head coaching candidates if Freddie Kitchens is fired

By Matthew McFatridge

WACO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on as Baylor plays the Texas Longhorns in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Waco, Texas. Texas won 38-7. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
WACO, TX - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Baylor Bears looks on as Baylor plays the Texas Longhorns in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Waco, Texas. Texas won 38-7. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns looks on prior to the start of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers of the Cleveland Browns at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns looks on prior to the start of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers of the Cleveland Browns at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

A season that started with hopes and promise has quickly turned sour, and the honeymoon for head coach Freddie Kitchens is over. Here are three head coaching candidates the Cleveland Browns should consider if they decide to move on from the first-year coach.

When Freddie Kitchens took over the interim offensive coordinator role following the firing of Hue Jackson and Todd Haley last season, he was met with success that wasn’t expected. He helped Baker Mayfield break the rookie record for passing touchdowns by a rookie.

He also had Nick Chubb looking like a steal in the draft and was making a weak offensive line look competent. He was a large part of why the Cleveland Browns finished the season with a 7-8-1 record, their best record in quite some time.

Even while being a large part of the success late in 2018, it was still a surprise by many that he was named the head coach of the team. Having been primarily a position coach in the league, a half-season of experience as offensive coordinator isn’t enough to prove you can handle the head coaching duties of an NFL franchise.

But John Dorsey had found his man and was convinced he was the right guy for the job, no matter what the critics may say or think. Six games into the season, however, it’s evident that many who critiqued the hire may have been right. Kitchens has looked every part of a rookie head coach, being out-coached and looking lost at several times this season.

As his rookie campaign nears the halfway point, the Browns are not where they had hoped to be. They have had a difficult schedule to this point, and it does get a little easier the last half of the season. But with how the team has looked the five of the last six weeks, it’s safe to say nobody’s job is secure on this coaching staff. That includes the rookie under the headset, Freddie Kitchens.

While Dorsey may not want to make a move, and may want to give it more time, owner Jimmy Haslam has been known to put coaches on shorter leashes then a parent puts on their toddler at Disney World. He stayed out of the coaching search this past season, but if he continues to see struggles, he may pull his powers out and fire Kitchens himself.

If the team does move on from Kitchens, there are plenty of potentially great hires out there that could take the talent on this team and actually make it work. Here are three coaches that should be on the radar should Cleveland make a change during or after this season.

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