New Browns coach Hue Jackson has made his first staff hire and is reportedly closing in on another.
The Browns announced Friday that special teams coach Chris Tabor will be retained. In Minnesota, The Pioneer Press reported that Jackson wants to hire Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson as the Browns’ run game coordinator, a move that will require permission from the Vikings.
John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, told The Pioneer Press that Wilson would be getting a promotion, not making a lateral move.
A source told PFT earlier in the week that Jackson plans to call his own plays, but he said at his introductory press conference he hasn’t made a decision.
Tabor was hired by the Browns in 2011, or three head coaches ago.
“Chris is incredibly knowledgeable and possesses the passion necessary to motivate his unit,” Jackson said in a team statement. “They play hard and tough while paying attention to all the details and nuances that make the huge impact needed to win on special teams. Obviously, I’ve seen the success he’s had with the Browns special teams unit first hand in my time in this division.”