The Browns added another chef to the Kardiac Kitchen on Wednesday, hiring Hue Jackson to serve as head coach. They’ll eventually (presumably) add another, if/when they ever hire a new General Manager.
But one of the spoons that had been agitating the stew was omitted from the gathering to introduce Hue Jackson. While owner Jimmy Haslam specifically mentioned executive V.P. of football operations Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, outside search consultant Jed Hughes, and Haslam’s wife (and L.A. Relocluster representative) Dee, there was not a single mention during the entire press conference of team president Alec Scheiner.
Scheiner didn’t speak, and Scheiner wasn’t mentioned by anyone who did speak. Based on the things said by those who spoke, it sounds as if Scheiner wasn’t even involved in the process that culminated in the hiring of Jackson.
“We certainly are glad that we found Hue,” Brown said. “We had a tremendous process with Jed, Paul, Jimmy, Dee and myself.”
It was an odd omission from Brown, especially since he and Scheiner have a history that dates back to working at the same D.C. law firm more than a decade ago.
Last week, long-time Browns beat writer and columnist Tony Grossi declared that Scheiner and Brown had emerged as the new leaders of the front office. Now, on the fairly momentous occasion of the team introducing a new head coach (sure, they do it pretty much annually, but still), it’s as if Scheiner doesn’t work there anymore.
That’s enough to invite speculation that, in the near future, maybe he won’t be.