At least Rob Chudzinski will have no trouble adjusting to Cleveland.
The latest coach of the Browns has been employed twice before by the team, as tight ends coach in 2004 (he served as interim offensive coordinator for the final games of the season) and offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2008. Both prior stints ended ultimately in failure.
Not specifically failure by Chudzinski, but he was part of staffs who were replaced by new regimes.
This time, Chudzinski is the new regime, the first major hire by owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner, who has vowed that the next set of changes will be the last set of changes for a while.
The Browns officially have announced that Chudzinski is the choice. It’s the first domino that will eventually lead to a fresh vision for offense and defense and personnel management, especially since the Browns seem to have opted to focus on hiring a coach before bringing in a General Manager. Which means that Chudzisnki probably have some authority over the selection of the groceries.
While the decision won’t create much sizzle on the shores of Lake Erie, the Browns were never looking to do a cannonball in the Cuyahoga with the hire. Instead, they wanted the right man for the job.
They think they have him. Time will tell whether they’re right.