Jackson has experience as a head coach, knows the AFC North and has fixed quarterb…
Advertisement
Jackson becomes the Browns’ eighth coach since 1999 and sixth since 2008.
Jackson has just one year of experience as a head coach in the National Football League but is optimistic the Browns will be successful next season. CBS Sports Insider Jason La Canfora has reported that the team is finalizing a deal with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. For Hue Jackson, even if he is given free reign and enough time, which seems unlikely in both scenarios, it’s a long-term, up-hill battle. He’s ready to clean it up.
“I’m being very honest, I have 142 text messages on my phone”, Jackson said.
Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. “‘But, to me, we’ve got to find the right fit for us”.
“That’s those coaches”, Jackson said of predecessors Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski and Mike Pettine, who was sacked 10 days earlier after going 10-22 in two seasons.
Lewis, 57, is the second-longest tenured coach in the National Football League next to New England’s Bill Belichick and is coming off his best season with a 12-4 record. “I can’t worry about what’s happened before me”.
Jackson backed out of his scheduled interview with the New York Giants when Haslam called him Wednesday morning and offered him the job.
Jackson has a second interview with the Browns Tuesday.
Jimmy Haslam didn’t have to settle for a head coach this time, as the Cleveland Browns’ owner got the man he wanted for the job.
Whether quarterback Johnny Manziel will assist Jackson remains an open-ended question.
“I know everybody is talking about analytics and all those things”. “We’re going to be passionate about what we do and we understand there’s a lot of work involved in order to meet our goals”. I like challenges. What a challenge, but when you have the support that I think we have here, those challenges become reality.
Does Hue Jackson’s hiring spell the end of Johnny Manziel in Cleveland?
Although Haslam is very excited for Jackson to merge with the Browns, it is uncertain whether everyone will share that excitement. Manziel has been a major distraction during two drama-filled seasons with the Browns.
“If I didn’t think there was a chance to do something special here, I wouldn’t be here”, said Jackson, who said that during his interview, Haslam admitted, “I’ve had success in most things in my life – except this”.
Following his successful development of Andy Dalton with the Bengals, Jackson ought to have considerable influence in deciding who leads Cleveland under center in 2016 and beyond. “(And) what did you say to me Jimmy?” “I know that this is about wins and losses”. A former college quarterback at Pacific, Jackson pushed Dalton to his best statistical season and was known for his creative flair with unbalanced lines and unorthodox formations. The Browns have been stuck in a cycle of losing since their expansion rebirth.
“My job is to make sure that we win football games”.
After he walked into the team’s headquarters for the first time, Jackson was greeted by team employees, who applauded when he laid out his goals during an impromptu speech.
DePodesta, Brown and Jackson will work with each other while all reporting to Haslam.
Advertisement
But even if the next coordinator isn’t a pusher like Jackson, Whitworth rightly believes it’s on the players to pick up where Jackson left off. If there is a lesson their former coach taught them, that has to be it if 2016 is to be an even greater year than 2015.
