Freddie Kitchens To Be Named Cleveland Browns Head Coach: Report

CLEVELAND — Freddie Kitchens will be named Cleveland Browns head coach, according to reports. Kitchens was the team's interim offensive coordinator during the second half of the season.

The Browns interviewed Kitchens on Monday and made the hiring decision on Wednesday. Seven different candidates interviewed for the head coaching position.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the hiring on Wednesday afternoon. Interim head coach Gregg Williams will likely leave the team after Kitchens' hiring. An official team announcement is expected Wednesday afternoon.

Kitchens helped salvage a floundering Cleveland season. When then-head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were both fired, Kitchens became the interim offensive coordinator, under interim head coach Williams.

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The Browns offense improved drastically under Kitchens, bumping its game-to-game scoring average to 23.7 from 21.1.

Once a star of Alabama high school football, as a quarterback, Kitchens started three seasons at quarterback for the Crimson Tide. He became a tight ends coach in 2006, for the Bill Parcell-led Dallas Cowboys. He later worked with Carson Palmer in Arizona and was hired in Cleveland before this season.

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The Browns players reacted with joy to the news.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

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