The Browns don’t know who their head coach is going to be, but they apparently want to hang onto some of their assistants.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns have asked four assistants to stay pending the new coaching wanting them, including offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor are apparently free to go, but the team is also interested in keeping quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell, secondary coach Jeff Hafley, and assistant defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn.
The Browns aren’t keeping them from interviewing — and DeFilippo has already talked to the 49ers about their head coaching vacancy and is scheduled to talk to the Rams about their coordinator opening. But owner Jimmy Haslam told them last Monday he’d like to keep them if the new coach did.
Of course, the ones Haslam don’t want will still have to get permission to interview in other places if they have contract remaining, and the Browns aren’t paying for them to go to the Senior Bowl to network.
It’s a good news/bad news situation for the guys they want to keep, as they could be left in limbo until the team hires a new coach. But it’s better than being left without a rope, and having to pay your own way to Mobile.