General manager John Dorsey will lead the search for the next Cleveland Browns head coach, a team spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
The next coach will replace Hue Jackson, who was fired Oct. 29, one day after a loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The final decision on selecting the coach will be made by Dorsey and owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, with Dorsey's recommendation weighing heavily.
The decision is significant because Jimmy and Dee Haslam led the search to hire Jackson, and Jimmy Haslam assisted Joe Banner in the search to hire Mike Pettine and Rob Chudzinski. For a variety of reasons, chiefly not enough wins, none of the coaches lasted three years.
Dorsey's experience in scouting and player personnel give him strong contacts throughout the NFL and in college football. He has not yet commented on how he might go about the search.
The Browns' next hire will inherit some key pieces that could lead to a winning team, fueled by a quarterback in Baker Mayfield, a pass-rusher in Myles Garrett, a cornerback in Denzel Ward and talented running backs in Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr.
In a best-case scenario, the right coach could bring the team together for future success.
The team's future organizational structure after the new hire has yet to be determined. Jimmy Haslam previously had it arranged that the coach and general manager/vice president reported to him. Having the coach report to Dorsey would be an option.