The Cleveland Browns have fired coach Freddie Kitchens after a season that didn’t come close to meeting expectations. Kitchens was let go just hours after the Browns were beaten by the two-win Cincinnati Bengals to finish 6-10 and miss the playoffs for the 17th straight year. Kitchens was a surprising hire a year ago because he lacked head coaching experience. He failed to lead a talented roster to the postseason and paid the price. Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam will look for a new coach, the sixth since they took control of the team in 2012.
Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam announced the move in a statement, while the meeting with Kitchens was still ongoing, according to a team source.
“We thank Freddie for his hard work and commitment to this organization but did not see the success or opportunities for improvement to move forward with him as our head coach,” the Haslams said. “Our focus is on hiring an exceptional leader for this football team and we will take a comprehensive approach to this process. We are excited about the core players we have to build around and develop and we look forward to bringing in a strong head coach that will put this group of players in the best position to succeed.”