![Hue Jackson at a press conference Sunday following the team's loss to the Steelers [Cleveland Browns screenshot]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/21a720c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1618x910+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F29%2FHue%20Jackson%20Steelers%20presser%20screenshot%20recropped.jpg)
The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Hue Jackson, who compiled a 3-36-1 record, including 0-20 in road games, over two and a half seasons as head coach.
During a press conference Monday afternoon, Browns General Manager John Dorsey made it clear the Browns are not giving up on 2018.
“We have a lot of football left in this season,” Dorsey said. “We have some very talented players on this team right now as we speak. As we sat down and talked to the players today, I expressed that to them. I said, ‘You know, we have a lot of football left here you guys.’”
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, formerly a head coach in Buffalo, was named interim head coach.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was asked if it's troubling that his team continues to have a reputation for dysfunction six years into his ownership.
“Well, hopefully we made a big step today,” Haslam said. “It is very troubling. It is hard to win in the NFL. If anybody knows that, it is us. I think the message today is we're not going to put up with internal discord. We want people who are collaborative and work together.”
Haslam and Dorsey did not comment on what a head coaching search after the season might look like, saying the current focus is on the last eight games. 7-1 Kansas City visit the Browns Sunday.
The (Im)Perfect Season
In 2017, the Browns were only the second team in NFL history to go 0-16 in a season. Jackson also becomes the sixth straight Browns head coach to be fired after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We greatly appreciate Hue’s commitment to the Cleveland Browns organization over the last two and a half years,” Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement. “We understand how critical this time period is in the development of our football team, individually and collectively, and believed it was in the organization’s best interest to make the move at this time, in order to maximize our opportunities the rest of this season.”
The Browns also fired offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who clashed with Jackson. Jackson told reporters after a loss to Tampa on October 21 that he would get more involved with the offense. He said as an offensive coach, knew how to fix some of the Browns’ struggles.
Cleveland totaled 10 yards of offense in the second half of the loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday before a final drive with the Steelers already up 33-12.
Yahoo Sports reports Dorsey convinced the Haslams that the rift between Jackson and Haley was hurting the team.
Running backs coach and Associate Head Coach Freddie Kitchens was named offensive coordinator.
Possible candidates for the head coach vacancy include Massillon native Matt Campbell, currently at Iowa State, and Lincoln Riley at the University of Oklahoma where he coached Browns quarterback and number one draft pick Baker Mayfield. Riley was asked about his interest in the job Monday.
“The truth is for me is I love Oklahoma,” Riley said. “I love coaching here, I love college football. I certainly don’t have that itch right now. I don’t know that I ever will, but I’m never going to be a guy that’s going to stand up here and say, ‘No way, no how will any of these things ever happen.’ I don’t know that.”
This story was updated to include comments from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and General Manager John Dorsey following their press conference Monday afternoon.
