Browns fire Chudzinski

[ThomasTomasz]

Browns coach Rob Chudzinski has not been fired, team sources said on Sunday.

The club is evauluating all parts of the organization after a 4-12 season, capped by Sunday's 20-7 loss to Pittsburgh.

While no decisions have been made, a change is possible after a very poor second half of the season.

If the Browns did fire Chudzinski after one season, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would be very high on any wish list, as he has long been viewed highly by members of that organization. Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz, if he is fired as many in the league believe he will be, would also likely warrant consideration for a Browns opening.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...g-coach-rob-chudzinski-yet-evaluation-to-come

 

[Maynard]

now the lead on espn.com - im surprised only because its the guy they picked....after everyone else turned them down. but he had just 1 year. still though, they played like shit after the bye week. You come out of the bye at 4-5 and have a shot to go up 2-0 in the division against the bengals and come out looking just horrendous. They even had a 13-0 lead in that game before the offesne and special teams gave it away.

lose 7 in a row to end the year and 10 of 11...bad things man

have no clue who they would get. cowher or gruden would be nice.

Rob Chudzinski will be fired after just one season as coach of the Cleveland Browns, league sources told ESPN.

The Browns are expected to make Chudzinski's firing official early this week, a source added.

[+] EnlargeRob Chudzinski
Ron Schwane/USA TODAY Sports
The Browns will fire Rob Chudzinski after just one season, according to sources.
Chudzinski was hired Jan. 11 after the Browns fired Pat Shurmur less than a year ago. The Browns, including owner Jimmy Haslam, became convinced they made a mistake and did not want to continue down their current path with Chudzinski, sources said.

The Browns plan to commence their head coaching search immediately. Last year they interviewed Bill O'Brien, Ken Whisenhunt and Chip Kelly, whom they regret not being able to hire.

The Browns finished 4-12 in Chudzinski's only season as coach, finishing the season with a 20-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The first-year coach had to deal with an unsettled quarterback situation as the Browns started three different players at the position, going with Brandon Weeden in the season opener, turning to Brian Hoyer shortly afterward before he suffered a season-ending knee injury and ending the season with veteran Jason Campbell.

This will represent the third time the Browns have gotten rid of Chudzinski, who grew up a Browns fan in Toledo, Ohio.

Chudzinski coached the Browns tight ends for Butch Davis in 2004, and then returned to the team in '07, when he served two seasons as offensive coordinator under Romeo Crennel.

 

[Cody]

I seen that Josh McDaniels and Bill O'Brien are who they are after.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Even with that collapse, just look at what he had to work with at QB. Cleveland has a good roster shaping up, they just need to find the guy to put behind center and they are going places. The two first rounders will also go a long way to helping shape the roster.

 

[Maynard]

Even with that collapse, just look at what he had to work with at QB. Cleveland has a good roster shaping up, they just need to find the guy to put behind center and they are going places. The two first rounders will also go a long way to helping shape the roster.

i agree. even with the QB situation i dont think Jason Campbell played bad. they were in most games all year, but had alot of bad breaks and things that didnt go their way...look at the pat game they lost....lol

i guess when you spend a billion dollars on a team you have higher expectations. 4-12 in the weak North is pretty bad.

i gotta believe that turner will be gone and maybe even horton. Dont forget that those guys got alot of money to be coordinators. and neither side played well. the dee was equally horrible the second half of the year. And they were really good the first half too. it just seemed to fall apart

 

[1ke]

Twitter saying its done.

Nexus 10

 

[JimLeavy59]

So he gets fired because they can't draft a QB worth a fuck?

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Browns fire Chudzinski

The Browns fired first-year coach Rob Chudzinski Sunday night, hours after the team lost to the Steelers, 20-7.

Cleveland started the 2013 season 3-2 and were 4-5 at the midway point when team president Joe Banner said he was pleased with the job Chudzinski had done to that point.

“I'd be hard-pressed to think that in nine weeks a first-time head coach can do any better or any more than he's doing,” Banner said back in mid-November. “All of the measurables that you'd look to come up with, if you even wanted to create a yardstick of measuring at this moment, I just think he's doing an outstanding job.”

But the Browns finished with seven straight losses and the front office, clearly, had a change of heart.

On Sunday night, shortly after meeting with Chudzinski, the organization released this statement:

"We appreciate Chud's passion for the Browns, and we have great respect for him both personally and professionally. We needed to see progress with this football team. We needed to see development and improvement as the season evolved and, unfortunately, we took a concerning step backward in the second half of the year.

"Our fans deserve to see a consistently competitive team. We have high standards, and there's an urgency for success. When we believed we were not positioned to achieve significant progress in 2014, we knew we had to admit that a change was needed, and move forward.

"Browns fans are the most loyal and passionate supporters in the NFL. We're fully committed to bringing them the winning football team they deserve."

Chudzinski's tenure in Cleveland lasted less than a year; he was hired on Jan. 10, 2013.

No word on possible replacements, but ProFootballTalk reports that Chudzinski's staff has been retained for now. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has head-coaching experience and defensive coordinator Ray Horton could be a hot head-coaching candidate this offseason.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24391294/report-browns-fire-rob-chudzinski

So they've retained his staff for now, despite not seeing progress and having high standards. They have just as much accountability to develop players as the head coach. Something doesn't fit right in that situation.

 

[Maynard]

“We appreciate Chud’s passion for the Browns, and we have great respect for him both personally and professionally,” the team said in a statement. “We needed to see progress with this football team. We needed to see development and improvement as the season evolved and, unfortunately, we took a concerning step backward in the second half of the year. Our fans deserve to see a consistently competitive team. We have high standards, and there’s an urgency for success. When we believed we were not positioned to achieve significant progress in 2014, we knew we had to admit that a change was needed, and move forward. Browns fans are the most loyal and passionate supporters in the NFL. We’re fully committed to bringing them the winning football team they deserve.”

at least they didnt fuck around with it. but that second half collapse was more than just the QB play.

 

[Maynard]

PITTSBURGH -- Hard as it is to believe, the Browns have fired coach Rob Chudzinski after only one season.

At about 9:35 Sunday night, the team sent out a release announcing they fired Chudzinski after his 4-12 inaugural season, one that ended with a 20-7 loss to Pittsburgh Sunday for the club's seventh straight loss and tenth in 11 games.

The team called a press conference for 12:30 p.m. Monday and issued the following unattributed statement:

"We appreciate Chud's passion for the Browns, and we have great respect for him both personally and professionally. We needed to see progress with this football team. We needed to see development and improvement as the season evolved and, unfortunately, we took a concerning step backward in the second half of the year.

"Our fans deserve to see a consistently competitive team. We have high standards, and there's an urgency for success. When we believed we were not positioned to achieve significant progress in 2014, we knew we had to admit that a change was needed, and move forward.

"Browns fans are the most loyal and passionate supporters in the NFL. We're fully committed to bringing them the winning football team they deserve."

Chudzinski's meeting with the team got underway as of about 9 Sunday night.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that Chudzinski would have a chance to fight for his job in the meeting but that it was a longshot. He also said Chudzinski requested the session take place Sunday night after the team bussed back from Pittsburgh instead of Monday morning.

Chudzinski had three years remaining on his contract.

A leading candidate to replace Chudzinski is Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, according to multiple reports. A graduate of Canton-McKinley High and John Carroll University, McDaniels is a longtime favorite of Browns general manager Mike Lombardi and CEO Joe Banner, who's liked McDaniels since Banner was with the Eagles.

NFL Network's Albert Breer also identified Penn State's Bill O'Brien, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, as a likely top choice, but O'Brien is likely to take the Texans job after interviewing with them on Saturday.

O'Brien interviewed with the Browns last year, but opted to stay at Penn State. The Browns wanted to interview McDaniels last year, but he wasn't ready to leave New England. A source told cleveland.com last year that McDaniels would "jump at the chance'' to coach his hometown team when he was ready to return to the head coaching ranks.

On Sunday, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was so disgusted with his team's performance in Pittsburgh that he stalked out of Heinz Field with about six minutes remaining, before the Browns averted their first shutout of the season, a source told cleveland.com. He was also incensed over what he perceived as poor effort in last week's 24-13 loss to the Jets.

The Browns declined to comment on Mortensen's report, sticking with an unattributed quote distributed in the fourth quarter when speculation was rampant on the internet.

"Our focus is on the game today,'' the statement said. "We will not discuss any evaluation of the season until this upcoming week.''

Given numerous opportunities to squash the reports, the Browns declined to do so.

Chudzinski, who put on a brave face after the game, was asked if he'd be back next year.

"As far as I know,'' he said.

He said the firing talk didn't necessarily catch him off guard.

"It sort of comes with the territory,'' he said. "We'll get it started next week and (do) the things we need to do to make the Cleveland Browns better.''

He said he saw Haslam before the game, but that nothing about his job security was discussed.

"We haven't had any discussions other than we're going to talk next week on where we're at and make the assessments and evaluations and move on,'' he said.

Asked if he felt he felt he was on the same page with Haslam and Banner regarding the future of the club, he said, "definitely. No question about that.''

If the Browns fire Chudzinski, it will mark the Browns fourth head coach firing in the past six season: Romeo Crennel in 2008, Eric Mangini in 2010, Pat Shurmur in 2012 and Chudzinski in 2011.

The sixth full-time head coach in the new era, he'd be the first one in Browns history to go one-and-done.

"It's a difficult job,'' said Chudzinski. "We've gone through a lot and had a lot of things happen this season. I got back to being proud of our guys and how they've been able to handle it and that was my goal -- to make sure that I kept the ship steady through those times. I feel the future is bright. I look forward to it.''

Several members of the national media, including Breer, reported that the Browns were unhappy with Chudzinski's ability to hold players accountable and his indecisiveness in big moments.

A source told cleveland.com that the front office wanted him to make a statement in recent weeks by cutting a player such as Greg Little or Shawn Lauvao, but that he wouldn't do it. Other sources said he clashed with Browns general manager Mike Lombardi.

A source also said that offensive coordinator Norv Turner has been dismayed recently because the Browns wanted a title change for his son Scott Turner, the receivers coach.

Chudzinski said holding players accountable has never come up.

"I don't know anything regarding that at all,'' he said. "That's not an issue.''

A source said accusations about player accountability have left Chudzinski baffled.

News of Chudzinski's possible firing was met with shock and outrage in the Browns locker room.

"That’s ridiculous,'' said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson. "Chud’s gonna be here for as long as he wants to. He’s a great head coach and that’s all I gotta say about that…. That’s not going to happen. I don’t know how a report would get out like that about Chud. Chud’s a great coach. He’s had our attention from Day 1. We have great coaches that are coaching us up.

"That’s absurd to me that a report would be out about a good coach like that. That’s crazy. That pisses me off in a sense, that someone would write something about a guy who’s…That’s it, that’s all I have to say about that.''

Jackson said the 4-12 record "was on the players this year. We didn’t win the games to let people know how good of a coach he was. It fell on the players this year. He’s not going anywhere, not in my opinion.''

Seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, who's had four head coaches since 2007, said, "to start over again, it would be devastating, “It sets everything back. You just hit the rest button. Anytime you hit the rest button, it severely damages the organization, and it lengthens the amount of time that it takes to get back to the playoffs and turn the team into a consistent winner.”

Thomas said he wouldn't ask out if the Browns fire Chudzinski.

"I’m a Cleveland Brown,'' he said. "I love being a Cleveland Brown. I don’t have a say in the decisions that are made at that level. I’d be disappointed, but I’m still a good solider, and I’m going to show up to work and do my best every day no matter what happens…..A lot of times they want to hear the players’ feedback and input and certainly, definitely, if they ask me, defend Chud because I think he’s done a good job.”

As for the accountability issue, Thomas said, "That was one things we're built on.''

NFL Network's Mike Silver said one Browns player texted him, "this organization is a joke'' and another "we are so dysfunctional. These billionaires need to pick somebody and stay with them. These aren't girlfriends.''

A lifelong Browns fan from Toledo, Ohio, Chudzinski -- who made it his personal mission to lead the Browns to a championship -- was at least the Browns' sixth option for their head coaching vacancy last season. Before the new regime of Haslam, Banner and Lombardi made him their first coaching hire, they interviewed Chip Kelly, Doug Marrone, O'Brien, Ken Whisenhunt and Ray Horton. They also sent out feelers to Nick Saban and Jon Gruden.

They were close to hiring Whisenhunt, but preferred Chudzinski's ability to bring coordinators Turner and Horton with him.

In addition to McDaniels and O'Brien, Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports reported that Lions coach Jim Schwartz will be a possible candidate if he gets fired. Lombardi was instrumental in bringing Schwartz to Cleveland during the Bill Belichick years, and the two have remained close.

Lombardi's tight relationship with Belichick is also why O'Brien and McDaniels are high on the list. Lombardi got to know both coaches very well when they were in New England, and McDaniels reportedly considered hiring Lombardi as his GM when he took the Denver head coach job.

Lombardi would've been happy with either O'Brien or McDaniels last year, but the timing wasn't right. O'Brien felt it was too soon to leave beleaguered Penn State after only one season, and they gave him a raise after news broke that he interviewed with the Browns.

McDaniels had bounced around a lot after getting fired as head coach of the Broncos in 2010, and his wife had recently given birth to their fourth child. He wasn't ready to uproot the family last January -- but perhaps he is now. A source close to McDaniels told cleveland.com last year he'd love to coach the team he grew up rooting for.

In New England, McDaniels played a key role on a staff that won three Super Bowls and four AFC Championship games.

Depending on what happens Monday morning, he could become the Browns seventh full-time head coach since 1999 and fifth to hold the seat since 2008. He'll also be the second straight to grow up loving the orange and brown.

Question is, will he last longer than the maximum of two years for the last three guys?

For comparison's sake, the Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969.

And if Browns fans want to know what's wrong with their team, therein lies the problem.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

LOL at saying Schwartz would be better for this team than Chudzinski. Haslam is completely ignoring his personnel and that it's going to take time to fix the team he inherited.

Interesting piece of information though. The last four coaches fired in the AFC North? All of them done by the Browns.

 

[JeremyHight]

So, Chud inherited a team with a bust second year QB that was already collecting Social Security, a bust at RB who they traded away, and a below average roster with a few bright spots, but surprisingly... didn't get them to the Super Bowl. I don't think any coach could have made this team get much more than 6 wins this season with this roster.

 

[SuperKevin]

Maybe the Browns gave control of the team over to Kevin Costner in what is going to be the largest viral marketing campaign ever created for the movie Draft Day

 

[Maynard]

banner has even stated that the personnel on the team is weak. basically saying they have talent, but no depth.

I thought the comments in the story about haslem being incensed over what he perceived as poor effort in last week's 24-13 loss to the Jets was interesting. i thought they didnt even try in that game.

 

[Len B]

I feel bad for the fans. The ownership has no idea what they are doing.

If Chud wasn't your first or second choice, FIND SOMEONE YOU COULD SEE BEING A GOOD MULTI-YEAR FIT. Don't just take a guy and hope he can make magic in one year with a third string QB and no RB.

Furthermore, the only thing the Browns have going for them this year was Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, who were helped incredibly by Chud and Turner's offense. You need a QB, and Chud is the guy who can build your QB. He made Derek Anderson relevant and put Cam Newton on a path to FUCK NAHSTE.

Can't stand the Browns ownership fucking up that roster and blaming the coach.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I feel bad for the fans. The ownership has no idea what they are doing.

If Chud wasn't your first or second choice, FIND SOMEONE YOU COULD SEE BEING A GOOD MULTI-YEAR FIT. Don't just take a guy and hope he can make magic in one year with a third string QB and no RB.

Furthermore, the only thing the Browns have going for them this year was Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, who was helped incredibly by Chud and Turner's offense. You need a QB, and Chud is the guy who can build your QB. He made Derek Anderson relevant and put Cam Newton on the map.

Can't stand the Browns ownership fucking up that roster and blaming the coach.

The worst part is that I could see Haslam saying "but we like Turner, he stays as the OC." No self-respecting coach is going to take a job where he has coaches forced on him, much less at the coordinator level. If they like Turner that much, then make him the next head coach.

This is why I think something else went on behind the scenes that we don't know about. This whole situation doesn't make sense.

 

[Maynard]

they have stated the new coach will get to choose his assistants, but that he could keep some or all if he wants because they have been retained for now.

i dont know if i agree with this move to fire him, but you guys keep going back to the roster and how poor it is....and yes, its not great, but if your players quit on you, then thats trouble. Look at the Jets crappy offense. They won 8 games for Rex Ryan.

The browns are better than 4 wins. and i dont think it mattered that they only won 4, i think it was how they lost the final 7. Especially those final 3 or 4 games where the team didnt even care.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

they have stated the new coach will get to choose his assistants, but that he could keep some or all if he wants because they have been retained for now.

i dont know if i agree with this move to fire him, but you guys keep going back to the roster and how poor it is....and yes, its not great, but if your players quit on you, then thats trouble. Look at the Jets crappy offense. They won 8 games for Rex Ryan.

The browns are better than 4 wins. and i dont think it mattered that they only won 4, i think it was how they lost the final 7. Especially those final 3 or 4 games where the team didnt even care.

Any chance Turner or Horton are retained as head coach? To me, this could be a reverse situation of Jim Zorn and Washington, where they discovered Chud was in over his head, and that Horton or Turner were someone they wanted to go with all along.

 

[Maynard]

idk...they said they wont interview people they interviewed last year. meaning no OBrien and also Horton...he was interviewed to fill the minority requirement for HC.

apparently denvers OC and McDanials are the front runners.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

idk...they said they wont interview people they interviewed last year. meaning no OBrien and also Horton...he was interviewed to fill the minority requirement for HC.

apparently denvers OC and McDanials are the front runners.

How McDaniels is back on the list of head coaching candidates is beyond me. I want him to stay as far away from Washington as possible.