In officially announcing the hiring of Freddie Kitchens as their new head coach, the owners of the Cleveland Browns have released a statement about what they learned of Kitchens from his year as a Cleveland assistant.
“We are thrilled to announce Freddie Kitchens as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. “He did an outstanding job in his role as coordinator, and we know that will continue as he steps into the role of head coach. Freddie demonstrated all of the qualities that you want in someone who is leading your organization. He has unquestioned leadership. He is a man of integrity. He fosters a collaborative environment. He gets the most out of his players and our players loved playing for him. We are happy to have him leading the Cleveland Browns going forward.”
Browns G.M. John Dorsey offered similar sentiments.
“We had a deliberate and thorough process and one thing became evident -- that Freddie is the best person to lead the Cleveland Browns,” Dorsey said. “We saw firsthand what Freddie is able to do. He showed that he is consistent on a day in and day out basis and that he is a true leader. He helped unify our players in a tough time. He raised the bar for our offense last year, and I have no doubt he is going to raise the bar for our entire team.”
Some may detect a hint in those comments that Hue Jackson and Gregg Williams may have lacked some of those traits the Browns liked about Kitchens. The Browns think they’re turning a page with a young coach who will significantly change the franchise’s fortunes.