DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Part Ways With Mike Peifer

Strange to have it be later like this, but still the right move. We needed resets on defense and STs

Yay! He was lousy. Curious why it took as long as it did.

Addition by subtraction just like with Jim Schwartz. Both good moves. I'm sure we'll hire someone better

Jim Leonhard interviewed w/the Eagles to be their DC. If he doesn't get that job, he would be a good choice to replace Peifer.

No surprise.

Whoever the new ST coach is, give him a legitimate, consistent KR and PR threat, and we won't be talking too much about it for the foreseeable future.

I wonder if the timing of this happened because someone they like better recently became available? I would have thought a move like this would have happened in January instead of the back half of February. If this will be a quick hire turnaround, things could have been in motion for some time now.

It could be Bubba. Part of me wishes we could have coaches called Bubba and Jim Bob Cooter, but I suppose just one will work for now.

Another answered prayer, and long overdue. Hope he comes back to us. We might do the little stuff right (like kicking FG's and point after kicks). My ear is to the ground. I also thought this should have happened by now.

That's hilarious and sadly true at the same time.

I thought I'd put the question out there. I think it's a legitimate one, because I simply don't know the answer.

How much can a ST coach or his assistants really help or have an impact on a struggling kicker (not just for us, but any team)? Regardless of the college accolades, leg strength, weather, etc., is it something that the kicker either "has" or "doesn't have" in the pros - then the ST coach does the best with what he has to work with.

I wonder if there are past examples of kickers who were struggling a bit then became markedly better under new tutelage. A learning curve type of thing? I don't know.

Maybe some posters on here who have ST experience in their past or like to look up the data on this stuff can help out.


(Amending my above post from earlier this morning - forget the KR talent (it's almost a non-existent, true threat at this point). I wish we hadn't lost Grant as a PR. Give us a true PR, and our ST coach will be here for awhile).

Sounds like sour grapes to me. Just more people making fun of any opposing view other than their own. And I'm not someone who has ever called for Stefanski to be fired.

I don't think the Special Teams coach does much for a kicker. I think they make a difference in the return coverages, the open-field blocking on returns, the blocking and rush at the LOS on kicks and punts, etc.

finally! more heads had to roll.

So getting fired is now "parting ways"

Good grief!

Browns surprisingly fire Mike Priefer, who served as head coach for team's only playoff win of past 28 years.

The Browns decided to shake up their coaching staff on Tuesday

By John Breech
10 hrs ago
•
For the second time this offseason, the Browns have decided to fire one of their coordinators. Six weeks after dumping defensive coordinator Joe Woods, the Browns made a surprising move on Tuesday by firing special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

One reason the move was surprising is because at this point in the offseason, you don't usually see a coordinator get fired unless they were let go by a new head coach, but that definitely wasn't the case in Cleveland, where Kevin Stefanski just finished his third season with the team.

According to NFL.com, the Browns already have their eye on Priefer's replacement with the team requesting to interview with Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, who spent four seasons with the Browns as a player (2009-12). ESPN is reporting the Browns have also requested permission to interview Giants assistant special team coordinator Anthony Blevins.

As for Priefer, he had been with the Browns since 2019 when Freddie Kitchens hired him as special teams coordinator and Stefanski decided to keep him on after Kitchens was fired.

"I appreciate everything Prief has done for this team in his three seasons as my special teams coordinator, but I have decided to move in another direction in the best interest of our organization," Stefanski said in a statement.

One very notable thing about Priefer's tenure in Cleveland is that he served as the head coach for the Browns' only playoff win of the past 28 years. After the Browns' earned a playoff berth in 2020, Stefanski tested positive for COVID just before the team's wild-card game against the Steelers. With Stefanski forced to watch the game at home, the head coaching duties were given to Priefer, who led the Browns to a 48-37 win over Pittsburgh, which marked the Browns' first playoff win since 1994.

The win was so big that Priefer got his own display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame following the victory.

"I know this city will forever be grateful for the job he did as acting head coach in our AFC wild card win and for all his contributions while leading the Browns special team's units for the last four seasons," Stefanski said. "We wish Prief the best with his next opportunity."

Priefer is from Cleveland and at the end of the 2022 season, it sounded like he planned on sticking around as long as the Browns would have him.

"I don't plan on going anywhere else," Priefer said in January, via Cleveland.com. "I'm from Cleveland. I want to help Cleveland win a world championship. That's why I am here, and that is my focus."

As for why Priefer was fired, Stefanski might have felt that a move was necessary after watching the Browns' struggle in the kicking game for most of the season. Rookie kicker Cade York hit just 75% of his field goals (24 of 32) in 2022, which was the third-worst percentage in the NFL for any kicker who had more than 10 attempts. After starting the season 8-for-8, York was just 16 of 24 on field goals over Cleveland's final 13 games.

The problem for Priefer wasn't necessarily that York was missing, it was how he was missing. Three of his kicks were blocked, which definitely isn't a great look if you're in charge of the special teams.

Priefer has been in the NFL since 2002 when the Jaguars hired him as an assistant special teams coach and with 22 seasons of experience under his belt, it won't be surprising if the 56-year-old lands a job somewhere else before the start of the 2023 season.

Good riddance.

I know this name wasn't mentioned, but I think they should give consideration to Josh Cribbs. I think he would help in punt returns, but then again that require our D to actually get a 3rd down stop

Your comment immediately reminded me of George Carlin's bit on 'soft language' in 1990.

I know he has interviewed before but does he have any significant experience coaching experience?

We turned woods and priefer into schwartz and ventrone. Probably a good trade off

We interview Bubba Ventrone today.

We should hear word of the hire early this afternoon.

Read some Facebook article comments critical of the Browns for firing him. They were mostly based on him being the "interim" HC who led the Browns to a playoff win since their return. Not agreeing with them, just thought it was funny that numerous commentors seemed to give Priefer full credit for the win.

fate...Hopefully the interview with Ventrone goes well and we have some positive news by the end of the day or sooner...

j/c...