Browns hire Hue Jackson as head coach
The Cleveland Browns have completed a deal to make Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson their new head coach.
"They made me feel comfortable," Jackson told Michael Silver of NFL.com about why he chose the Browns over several other opportunities.
The Browns were set on hiring Jackson to lead the franchise, reportedly making a "big push" in order to ensure they got their man.
Jackson will get his second shot at being a head coach in the NFL. He was in charge of the Oakland Raiders in 2011, but was fired after only one season. However, it was widely recognized that his firing had more to do with a regime change in Oakland than Jackson's performance, after he led the Raiders to an 8-8 season.
After his time in Oakland, Jackson re-established himself as one of the league's best offensive minds in Cincinnati. Jackson was promoted from running backs coach to offensive coordinator in 2014, molding a balanced, effective attack.
Jackson will be charged with turning around an unstable Browns franchise with a history of failing to give head coaches enough time to implement their vision.
Mike Pettine was fired Jan. 2 after just two seasons in charge of the Browns, making him the fourth consecutive Cleveland head coach to be fired after two seasons or less.
Jackson's first task will be fixing the Browns' quarterback situation. Johnny Manziel is not expected to be retained, so Cleveland will again go into the offseason with a big question mark hanging over the sport's most important position.
Cleveland holds the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and could use it on a quarterback. If the Browns do, it'll be their third first-round selection of a quarterback in five years, following Manziel in 2014 and Brandon Weeden in 2012.
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