HEADLINES

Browns Part Ways With Gregg Williams

January 9th, 2019 at 11:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns chose Freddie Kitchens as their next head coach on Wednesday, temporarily leaving interim head coach Gregg Williams in limbo. That’s no longer the case, as Williams is out in Cleveland and will not return, sources tell Pat McManamon and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Williams is a highly-respected defensive mind, but the Browns will go with a new staff on that side of the ball as Kitchens puts the bulk of his focus on the offense. It’s not clear whether the Browns entertained bringing Williams back as their defensive coordinator (which was his role before the in-season firing of Hue Jackson), but in any case, it’s unlikely that Williams was interested in a role reversal with his former assistant.

The Browns went 5-3 under Williams in the second half, but the Browns are putting more stock into Kitchens’ impact on the offense than Williams’ defensive management or leadership. At this stage of the coaching cycle, it’s unlikely that Williams will garner consideration for the remaining head coaching vacancies, but he should be a top candidate for open DC jobs.

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