Browns Sign Rob Chudzinski as OC (1 Viewer)

[chris1969]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16721173/

Associated Press Sports

Updated: 5:59 a.m. PT Jan 20, 2007

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -Rob Chudzinski was hired Saturday as the Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator, returning to the team to take over a unit that ranked near the NFL's bottom in nearly every category the past two seasons.

Chudzinski was Cleveland's tight ends coach in 2004 under Butch Davis. He coached San Diego's tight ends the past two seasons.

Before coming to the pros, the 38-year-old Toledo native was the Miami Hurricanes' offensive coordinator for three seasons. The former tight end was credited with developing Green Bay's Bubba Franks, the New York Giants' Jeremy Shockey and current Browns tight end Kellen Winslow into All-Americans.

The Browns went through two offensive coordinators this season. With players and fans grumbling about his play calling, Maurice Carthon resigned after six games and was replaced by line/assistant head coach Jeff Davidson.

But the Browns didn't improve much and finished 30th in scoring and 31st in total yards and rushing. They lost six of their last seven games and finished 4-12, Cleveland's fourth straight season with at least 10 losses.

In 2005 under Carthon, the Browns were last among the league's 32 teams in scoring.

This is a great choice in my opinion and should boost Winslow's value as well.

 

[redman]

Well, now that they have that fixed . . .

 

[chris1969]

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=6414

Chudzinski named offensive coordinator

Jeff Walcoff and Zac Jackson

01.20.2007

The Browns have hired a familiar face to be their offensive coordinator.

Rob Chudzinski, an Ohio native who coached the Browns' tight ends in 2004, was introduced by head coach Romeo Crennel at a Saturday press conference. He spent the past two seasons as the Chargers' tight ends coach and interviewed with the Browns this week after the Chargers were eliminated from the AFC Playoffs.

The job gives Chudzinski his first full-time chance to be an NFL coordinator; he served as offensive coordinator under interim coach Terry Robiskie for the Browns for the final five games of the 2004 season.

Crennel said he and general manager Phil Savage were impressed by Chudzinski's presentation during his interview Friday. Crennel said it covered every aspect of running the offense.

"His offensive presentation, I thought it was well thought out," Crennel said. "It was all encompassing. It covered many aspects of the offensive structures. We talked about coaching, schedules and discipline and he had a plan for all of those things - even for our situation here.

"Even though he's young he covered all those bases and had an answer and a thought about all of the things we talked to him about. That doesn't guarantee success but the fact that he had a plan and was comprehensive in that plan that was very impressive."

Of his specific offensive style, Chudzinski said, "I've always been around and been exposed to attacking-style offenses that are built on a balance of run and pass and that utilize the talents of the guys that are part of that offense. Giving those guys a chance to make plays for you in an attacking style is basically what we've talked primarily about."

Chudzinski said he bypassed an opportunity to interview for the now-vacant coordinator post for the league's top-scoring offense in San Diego because he couldn't pass up the chance to return home and again coach the team he rooted for growing up in Toledo.

Chudzinski now will try to vastly improve an offense that ranked 31st in the league in 2006 in yards per game and averaged just 14.9 points per contest.

"This opportunity and the chance to come home and be apart of this organization again is what brought me here," he said. "It was a decision of heart and head. I wanted to part of this organization. I like challenges. If you don't like challenges you shouldn't be coaching."

He was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at his alma mater, the University of Miami, from 2001-03 - Kellen Winslow's three seasons there - after five years (1996-2000) as the tight ends coach. Miami won the national championship in 2001 with Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey as the starter.

"Kellen and I were very close there," Chudzinski said. "We had a great relationship and that's always how it has been.

"It's important that (players) feel like you're there to make them the very best they can be and that you care about them as people as well. There has to be a trust factor that you're doing everything you can to help them and they're reciprocating."

He said he looks forward to the opportunity to coach the team's strong personalities like Winslow and receiver Braylon Edwards.

"That's what leadership is - building a relationship with those guys," he said. "They're going to be a big part of our plan and they need to understand and know that. That kind of strong personality and passion and desire to win is what you want out of guys. To be honest with you I'd rather have guys be that way than the other way."

Winslow isn't the only premier tight end Chudzinski has developed and coached. During the past two seasons with the Chargers, Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates managed 2,025 yards on 160 catches with 19 touchdowns.

At Miami, Chudzinski also coached All-America tight ends and eventual first-round draft picks Bubba Franks and Jeremy Shockey.

Chudzinski will be 39 this spring. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Miami in 1994, serving in that role for two years before being named tight ends coach.

He played tight end at Miami from 1986-90, earned three letters, and was a member of two national championship teams (1987 and 1989). He graduated with a B.A. in business administration in 1990 and earned a MBA in 1996.

He attended St. John's High School in Toledo.

 

[nxmehta]

This guy doesn't appear to have much NFL experience calling plays. I'm wary about this hire...

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Well that stinks. I was hoping the Chargers would promote him to OC now that Cam Cameron is gone.

With Crennel running the defense and Chud running the offense, I'm liking Cleveland's coaching staff.

 

[nxmehta]

Well that stinks. I was hoping the Chargers would promote him to OC now that Cam Cameron is gone.With Crennel running the defense and Chud running the offense, I'm liking Cleveland's coaching staff.

Oh, well that's good to hear. Can any other Chargers homers chime in about what they think of Chud? Is he ready to run an offense?

 

[BGP]

The media in town appears to hold the view that Romeo Crennel is basically a lame-duck head coach heading into 2007, and that the problem is that its harder to fill out a coaching staff in that situation. And this hire makes sense with that in mind since, while he possibly could have been considered for the Chargers OC position, the Browns outright offered him the OC role before the Chargers got anywhere with their needs. Chudzinski gets his promotion.

 

[Irish]

This guy doesn't appear to have much NFL experience calling plays. I'm wary about this hire...

Andy Reid never called any plays before he was hired as the Head Coach of the Eagles let alone a promotion to OC. Chudzinski was OC at U of Miami and was a candidate for the HC gig there as well. I'm friends with his cousins and I can vouch his claim that they used to watch the Browns games outside in the freezing frigid weather. Family is fanatical Browns fans!

 

[scratcher]

This guy doesn't appear to have much NFL experience calling plays. I'm wary about this hire...

Andy Reid never called any plays before he was hired as the Head Coach of the Eagles let alone a promotion to OC. Chudzinski was OC at U of Miami and was a candidate for the HC gig there as well. I'm friends with his cousins and I can vouch his claim that they used to watch the Browns games outside in the freezing frigid weather. Family is fanatical Browns fans!

And we all know how great Andy's playcalling has been...

 

[Irish]

This guy doesn't appear to have much NFL experience calling plays. I'm wary about this hire...

Andy Reid never called any plays before he was hired as the Head Coach of the Eagles let alone a promotion to OC. Chudzinski was OC at U of Miami and was a candidate for the HC gig there as well. I'm friends with his cousins and I can vouch his claim that they used to watch the Browns games outside in the freezing frigid weather. Family is fanatical Browns fans!

And we all know how great Andy's playcalling has been...

He's only been one of the top successful HC in the league.

 

[redman]

This guy doesn't appear to have much NFL experience calling plays. I'm wary about this hire...

Andy Reid never called any plays before he was hired as the Head Coach of the Eagles let alone a promotion to OC. Chudzinski was OC at U of Miami and was a candidate for the HC gig there as well. I'm friends with his cousins and I can vouch his claim that they used to watch the Browns games outside in the freezing frigid weather. Family is fanatical Browns fans!

And we all know how great Andy's playcalling has been...

He's only been one of the top successful HC in the league.

And we all know how great Andy's playcalling has been...

 

[lord_helmet]

I like this hire! And it would of course have nothing to do with the fact that I own Winslow in a couple of dynasty leagues

 

[redman]

I like this hire! And it would of course have nothing to do with the fact that I own Winslow in a couple of dynasty leagues

Yeah, and thank God too! He was so underutilized this year!