Cleveland Browns Name Hue Jackson Head Coach

After yet another disappointing season, the Cleveland Browns have named Hue Jackson their next head coach, hoping he can turn things around.

Jackson most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He previously was the Oakland Raiders’ head coach for one season and has held various coaching positions on the offensive side of the ball.

His first major hurdle as Browns head coach is deciding on a quarterback. Cleveland holds the second-overall pick in the upcoming draft, but most analysts question whether any available quarterbacks are good enough to be selected there. Also, as any Browns fan can tell you, the team doesn’t exactly have a great track record drafting quarterbacks.

The elephant in the room is Johnny Manziel, who theoretically has the talent, if not the character to succeed in the NFL. “I need to get in this building and have an opportunity to sit down and watch tape,” Jackson said at his introductory press conference. “I don’t know Johnny personally. I know who he is.”

There is speculation, however, that Jackson has already decided to move on from Manziel. He has always worked with more traditional pocket passers, which is the opposite of Manziel’s game.

Regardless of who he selects to be under center, Jackson will have his work cut out for him. He’s ready for the challenge, however.

“If I didn’t think that we had a chance to do something special here, then I wouldn’t be here,” Jackson said. “There is no questions about that. I cannot thank [owners] Jimmy and Dee [Haslam] enough for this opportunity because those two people are driven to success. I said this to Jimmy the other day that he has had success in doing most things that he has done.”

Photo: Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on December 4, 2011 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Article by Joe Kozlowski