The Cleveland Browns have promoted offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens to their vacant head coach position, as reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN. The team also fired interim head coach Gregg Williams who was the defensive coordinator for Cleveland when the season started.
Freddie Kitchens will be named new Browns head coach later today, per sources.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 9, 2019
After firing Hue Jackson and Todd Haley in week 9, the Browns promoted Freddie Kitchens from running backs coach to offensive coordinator with tremendous success, as Kitchens ignited a stagnant offense by installing creative play calling, fully utilizing Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr, and empowering #1 pick Baker Mayfield to unleash himself in the passing attack.
After averaging a paltry 21.1 points per game under Jackson and Haley, heavily aided by a 42 point game against a putrid Raiders defense, the Browns averaged 23.8 points under Kitchens’ tutelage. Baker’s production has also taken a large leap since Kitchens’ promotion to offensive coordinator, as his stats weeks 1-8 stood at 58% completion percentage, 1471 passing yards, and 8 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, while his stats after weeks 9-17 stood at 68% completion percentage, 2254 passing yards, and 19 touchdowns to 8 interceptions.
The Browns are banking on Kitchens, who only holds 8 games of experience as a coordinator and no prior experience as a head coach, to continue bringing massive improvements to both Baker Mayfield and the Browns offense as a whole.
