After a 23-33 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals today, the Cleveland Browns have officially announced that they are parting ways with first-time NFL head coach Freddie Kitchens. Kitchens has been with the franchise since 2018, having previously served as assistant head coach, a running backs coach, and an offensive coordinator.
Just got off the phone with an emotional Freddie Kitchens. He believed he had organizational support. He did not. https://t.co/6263Mmh7c0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 30, 2019
Cleveland Browns, Freddie Kitchens Part Ways
The Browns, one of the most talked-about teams heading into the regular season, concluded their year with a miserable 6-10 record, a one-game step down from last year. Despite offensive weaponry acquisitions in the offseason such as Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt, the team failed to compete in the AFC North, costing Kitchens his job after just one year at the post.
Kitchens was named the head coach of the Browns after proving himself as the offensive coordinator, stepping in for Gregg Williams, who was promoted to interim head coach in the middle of last season, after the firing of Hue Jackson. Previously, he coached offensive position players with the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. His 13-season tenure in the NFL follows experience at Mississippi State, North Texas, LSU, and Glenville State. As a player, he quarterbacked for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1993-1997.
The 2019 Browns offense may have failed to live up to their preseason hype, but following an incident in Week 11 that resulted in defensive end Myles Garrett’s indefinite suspension, the other side of the ball has also weakened productivity. The Browns can expect multiple additional staffing changes as they enter the offseason.
The Browns have cycled through eight head coaches over the last decade, with no end to the pattern in sight. With Black Monday on the horizon, and college bowl games coming to a close, there is no clear candidate to succeed Kitchens in the role, and no clear landing spot for one of the least-experienced NFL coaches of the 2019 season.
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