The Browns Have Essentially No Coaching Staff Right Now

It was stupid when Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski was booted after only one season, but Cleveland's situation is getting dumber. The front office still hasn't found a replacement while other rebuilding teams, like the Texans, Skins, and Vikings, have hired new coaches. And now, while the Browns have Coach Vacant leading their team, other staff members are peacing out.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who did his best with the players available and was smart enough to realize what he had in Josh Gordon, ditched Cleveland after just one season, going to the Minnesota Vikings under new head coach Mike Zimmer. (It'll be fun to see what Turner does with young receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.) According to a report that came out after Chud was fired, Turner wasn't sure that the front office had a real plan in place. So, he eventually bounced.

And today, defensive coordinator Ray Horton—who had a better group of talent on defense than Turner and delivered impressive results— left the Browns to be a defensive coordinator for new Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Horton particularly improved the secondary, which allowed just 221.1 passing yards per game, eighth-fewest in the league this season. It was a good first season under Horton, but now he's gone. Oh yeah, he's also taking the defensive backs coach with him.

Sometimes, a new head coach will install his own coordinators, but Turner and Horton didn't wait for that to happen. With every other team in flux getting its shit together, the pool of candidates has shrunk, and not just for head coach possibilities, but coordinators, too. Whatever the Browns' plan is, they better start making some moves—any moves—soon.

Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images