Sunday, January 17, 2016
By MARY KAY CABOT
The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND
Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was told by the club Saturday morning that he won’t be back, a league source told cleveland.com.
DeFilippo has two years left on his contract, and the Browns owe him the full amount unless he takes another job before it expires. He has a chance to join the Rams as passing game coordinator and interviewed for the 49ers head coaching vacancy that went to Chip Kelly.
It became apparent that DeFilippo wouldn’t be needed when head coach Hue Jackson told Sirius XM NFL on Friday that he probably won’t hire an offensive coordinator and plans to call his own plays. ESPN’s Adam Caplan first reported that DeFilippo was out.
Jackson interviewed former Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton Friday for a prominent role on the offense, possibly assistant head coach or passing game coordinator.
DeFilippo, who was waiting to hear Jackson’s plans before making a decision, is still in the running for the Rams job, as the team prepares to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season. He’s drawn interest from other teams as well.
DeFilippo, a Youngstown native, was one of four assistants were told the day after Mike Pettine was fired that they were welcome to stay if the new coach wanted them. The others were Kevin O’Connell, who has also been told he won’t be back, secondary coach Jeff Hafley and assistant secondary coach Aaron Glenn, who joined the Saints.
In 2015, DeFilippo’s first year as a coordinator, the Browns threw for 4,155 yards, fourth-most in franchise history. It was also the fourth time in team history the club threw for 4,000 yards and rushed for 1,500 yards in the same season.
The 2.0 interception percentage was second-best in franchise annals and the quarterbacks’ 12 interceptions were third-fewest in a 16-game season.
Josh McCown finished 14th in the NFL with a 93.3 rating and threw 12 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. Tight end Gary Barnidge’s 1,043 receiving yards were second-most by a tight end in Browns history and his nine TDs tied Ozzie Newsome’s franchise best.
Running back Duke Johnson’s 61 receptions tied for second-most by a Browns rookie. One of DeFilippo’s biggest contributions was pushing hard to draft Johnson in the third round last spring.
The Browns also let defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil go, but retained special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
Jackson is trying to hire Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson as his running game coordinator and Green Bay assistant Mike Solari as offensive line coach.