The Cleveland Browns just finished their fifth losing season in a row and are on the lookout for new leadership after firing head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert.
New owner Jimmy Haslam already hired Joe Banner as CEO and has started the process of interviewing candidates for the open coaching position. The team interviewed former Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt on Wednesday according to league sources, while other meetings are scheduled for later in the week with a number of notable names.
Oregon head coach Chip Kelley is at the top of the list for the Browns and will meet with the team on Friday after the Ducks play against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. Other meetings scheduled include a Friday interview with Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, who led the Orange to a Pinstripe Bowl victory last month.
Kelly has been a hot name for open coaching jobs for a few years and nearly took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job last year before deciding to stay with the Ducks. While preparing for the Fiesta Bowl, Kelly was asked by reporters about being contacted by NFL teams about interviews.
"I don't expect anything," Kelly said to the Associated Press. "I said this a million times. I'm never surprised by anything. I do not know what the future holds. I do know we have a football game tomorrow night and I'm going to be there."
Cleveland is looking for a long-term solution after going 5-11 for the third time in five years. The team ranked in the bottom-10 in scoring with 18 points per game and was ranked 24th in the league in rushing, averaging just 99 yards per game. The team has some talent on the roster with first-year players like quarterback Brandon Weeden and running back Trent Richardson, but the defense needs a complete overhaul after ranking 25th in passing and 19th in rushing.
The Browns interviewed Whisenhunt because he is known as an offensive coach, but this season in Arizona was a referendum on that. The team ranked 28th in passing and last in the league in rushing and only scored 15 points per game, ranked 31st in the NFL.
Arizona won only one of its final 12 games this season, a 38-10 victory over the Detroit Lions. The Cardinals dealt with numerous quarterback issues, so it wasn't all on Whisenhunt, but the performance this season of the team must be taken into account.
Kelly has an offensive system that is high-scoring and fast-moving, but many are unsure if it will translate to the NFL. This past offseason Kelly met with New England coach Bill Belichick and helped add some facets of his offense to the Patriots' system, which has paid off greatly as the team is ranked first in the league in scoring with 34 points per game.
"I don't think anybody knows any answers until somebody does it," Kelly said, when asked of his offense could be used successfully in the NFL.
Browns safety T.J. Ward played for Kelly in college and said that he could be very successful in the NFL.
"I think the players in the NFL would respect him and they will respect how he approaches you," Ward said. "He lets you do your job. In college, he treated us like pros. I think that's what players respect and appreciate about him."
According to reports from NFL.com, Kelly is also set to meet with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. It is likely that wherever Kelly gets hired, he will have some control over roster moves due to the fact that his offense is based on certain kinds of personnel.
This season Oregon was ranked second in the nation in scoring with over 50 points per game and gained over 550 yards per game on offense, ranked fourth in the country. The Ducks scored at least 40 points in every game this season, apart from the 17-14 loss to Stanford in overtime, which was Oregon's only defeat of the year.
The Ducks would likely be playing in the national championship this season had they not lost to Stanford, but they have a great matchup against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks won their first 10 games of the season by wide margins, including a 59-17 win over California. The previous week Oregon got into a shootout with USC, winning 62-51 on the road.
The game against the Trojans shows how effective the Kelly offense can be. The team scored nine touchdowns with no field goals and had 34 points on the board before halftime. Running back Kenjon Barner had an amazing game, rushing for 321 yards and five touchdowns, while quarterback Marcus Mariota had 304 passing yards and four touchdown passes.
The biggest know on Kelly is that his offense is tailor-made for the college ranks. But with so much spread and option plays coming to the NFL with rookies like Robert Griffin and Russell Wilson, Kelly could be the perfect coach if he comes to the right situation.
If he comes to the Browns, he likely would keep Brandon Weeden at quarterback, but the team would need to rework its roster to help fit Kelly's style. Oregon takes on Kansas State on Thursday night and Kelly will interview with the team on Friday.