Chudzinski named offensive coordinator Zac Jackson, Staff Writer 01.20.2007
The Browns have hired a familiar face to be their offensive coordinator.
Rob Chudzinski, an Ohio native who coached the Browns' tight ends in 2004, will be introduced at a Saturday press conference. He spent the last two seasons as the Chargers' tight ends coach and interviewed with the Browns this week after the Chargers were eliminated from the AFC Playoffs.
The job gives Chudzinski his first full-time chance to be an NFL coordinator; he served as offensive coordinator under interim coach Terry Robiskie for the final five games of the 2004 season.
He was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at his alma mater, the University of Miami, from 2001-03 - Kellen Winslow's three seasons there - following five years (1996-2000) as the tight ends coach. Miami won the national championship in 2001 with current Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey as the starter.
A native of Toledo, Chudzinski will be 39 this spring. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Miami in 1994, serving in that role for two years before being named tight ends coach.
He played tight end at Miami from 1986-90, earned three letters, and was a member of two national championship teams (1987 and 1989). He graduated with a B.A. in business administration in 1990 and earned a MBA in 1996.
Last edited by brownsfansince79; 01/20/0711:20 AM.
I wanted to see J.D. get his shot but I am happy with this move..
Chud has had success wherever he has been and I hope he can help us get something good going... This is a huge relief for me because the guy from Miami (Garrett) had me worried...
Wow...hope he learned a lot under Cameron in SD. Talk about young up n comer. Was one of my favorites here and was surprised when we let him go. But didn't even think of him as ready for an OC job. But this is a fast upcoming League...you learn a lot in two years especially on a team that was leading the NFL in offensive production. Does he come with LTomlinson?
Wow...so this is what we were waiting on.
Well at least its over n done. I said it before n I'll say it again - I could give two dinks on the OC...we need an OL to do anything successfully the rest will come.
JMHO
Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off! Go Browns! CHRIST HAS RISEN! GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
Phil is a smart guy. He knows what the Browns need in an OC. This guy told PS what he wanted to do with the offense and must have nailed it. Chud is a native Ohioan, a Browns fan, and has some experience.
As always, the success of the Browns' offense will be determined on the field. But personally, I'm glad they got this done and I hope he is the right guy. Go Browns!
[color:"red"]"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ---Leonardo daVinci
I am just giddy they did this sooner rather than waiting any longer..
Chud needs to have enough time to unass a playbook and get our youngins in it... I cannot help but think we will be going offense with our 1st pick which suits me fine.. We have SO MANY holes on that side of the ball that we will need to see a minimum of 3 new faces brought in if Chud is to have ANY kind of success this year...
Something to think about; he was on the offensive staff of SD, who as we all know centers around a great RB. Could this be a sign of who PS is looking to draft in the 1st? As I recall, none of the Chargers' OL were 1st rounders.
So let me get this straight ? The guy wasn't good enough to be our TE coach two years ago ; But now he is " The Top Man " to be our new " OC " .. I can't wait until the Brains of the board explain this one to me !
Should be interesting, I wanted someone with experience or an up and comer. He did do a good job the the TE's in '04, but beyond that hes a huge ?? for me. Crennel's job depends on how good Chud does. We have one similarity to SD, KWII. I'd imagine that he'll be incorporated much like Gates is in SD, rather than 3 and 5 yard outs that were in Carthon's playbook. If we use KWII to open up the middle of the field it should open some running lanes....but all of that is moot if we dont get some decent Olinemen.
"I don't remember any of my catches. I remember the drops." - Kellen Winslow II
Far be it for to try and explain anything,but,his leaving had nothing to do with not being good enough.He signed with SD before RAC got here. Who knows what kinda coach he'll be.
chud was good enough. He walked before we hired Romeo as his contract was up. He saw an opportunity to coach in SD and went for it while we were still interviewing and we wanted to keep him.
Chud is regarded as one of the best young minds in the game. This is an opportunity to turn the worst O in football around. I actually like the hire. Remember when he took over as OC, we had the entire interior of the line ravaged with injuries and a rookie QB starting. This was when we signed a kid off the ravens practise squad on thursday and had him starting on Sunday.
I like this guy, he has been here before, he has worked with alot of our guys in the past, (K2, Dorsey, Heiden in 2004) hope he brings a balanced offense to Cleveland. Wonder if his opinion will affect if we get Adrian Peterson? Because I'm sure he'd like to have a star at the Running Back position...
It's gonna be fun if we ever have to bash Chud, then we can call him Crud
I know absolutely nothing about him except that he was our TE's coach and I remember myself (and many others around here) really liking him in that role.
Aside from that though, I know and remember next to nothing. I haven't had much of a problem with any other move that we've made, so I'm sure I'll be Ok with this one....though it does seem to be outta left field a bit.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
I got nothing against Chud,,, seemed like a good young coach when he was here before under Butch...
But as the OC,,,,, Man I'm just not convinced... But as always, I'll keep an open mind. He has experience with offenses that are pretty wide open in Miami and also in SD... So maybe he's the next bright Offensive mind..
We will see i guess.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
I like the idea of having a coach that is familier with the players and the team history ,Since he was a fan. But on the other hand I was hoping for a proven experienced coach. But time will tell hope He works out .
Does it seem like the Browns are always looking for the new up & comer in coaches? Why are the Browns so against taking someone with a track record at their respective coaching position?
Coach - RAC, never been a head coach - Butch, Palmer never a head coach before coming here
OC - this new guy, never been an OC
I'm sure there's more if I think about it.
It just seems like we avoid those with experience at the position we are interviewing for. Even Savage was not a GM before coming here...
I guess in the end Lerner wants new guys coaching vs. experienced personnel. It at least appears that way. And it appears that it has not worked since 1999 either....
I was sad to see him go when he was here as the TE coach... and with his experience with TEs I would hope he'd know how to use KW2's abilities.... I wa shoping to have an OC with some more NFL experience though at the OC spot... but we'll see... just glad they did it quickly so we can move on
I think this addition will mean that the Browns might need a better downfield passer. Either they build up the line this year with Thomas and get a new QB next year, or Quinn will be the #1 pick this year.
He did good with Dorsey at QB in Miami, but Miami had superior talent in the Big East.
Quote: I was hoping for a proven experienced coach.
Not directing this at you, just in general throwing out an observation.
I got to thinking about this very idea the other day and then started thinking about what it really meant (don't ask why, I have no idea...the brain just wanders ). In essence, it is the same as saying "I want a guy that has already been fired from an OC job at least once before". I laughed to myself when it hit me, it was really quite a funny realization.
It seems that the guys that are really, really good either are already employed as OC's or are in line for HC jobs... so you're left with the journeyman types that just bounce around the league forever or trying some new blood. They all start out as OC's as new blood though, and they all have gotten that first break at some point.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
It's hard to find good, experienced coaches/GM's as teams don't typically let them go. And what experienced, good OC is going to want to come to Cleveland - I hate to say that, but there really isn't a lot of reasons to do so.
I'm all for a younger OC - he may be able to relate to the players better, and who knows, maybe he can turn things around. To your argument of hiring unexperienced people, look at what Mangini in NY and Payton in NO. Both unproven, young head coaches that did pretty good. It's pretty much a 1 year shot for him I figure, as if RAC doesn't turn things around this year we are probably in for another house cleaning.
Quote: I was hoping for a proven experienced coach.
Not directing this at you, just in general throwing out an observation.
I got to thinking about this very idea the other day and then started thinking about what it really meant (don't ask why, I have no idea...the brain just wanders ). In essence, it is the same as saying "I want a guy that has already been fired from an OC job at least once before". I laughed to myself when it hit me, it was really quite a funny realization.
It seems that the guys that are really, really good either are already employed as OC's or are in line for HC jobs... so you're left with the journeyman types that just bounce around the league forever or trying some new blood. They all start out as OC's as new blood though, and they all have gotten that first break at some point.
Or you have the situation where someone was a great OC then got a head coaching gig only to find out that Coordinator was the end of the their competance.
It happens all the time in this league and in business in general. Not everyone is cut out to be the head guy but more are cut out to be the Vice President.
One name that comes to mind is Fassel (although he was actually a decent head coach with the Giants).
Anyway, no one else really comes to mind right now (I just got up ).
Just offering a different point of view on what you had said.
My feeling is that we will have to adopt a wait and see approach with the new OC. As with any coach, there will be questions until the results are observed on the field.
The Browns did not go after a "system" coach (e.g. WCO) which may be a bit disappointing from the fans prospective. Nor did they go after a retread coach with an extensive track record. Nor did they pick into the Giants / Pats / Ravens pedigree that has been the basis of many of the previous hiriings.
But they seem to have picked up a coach from a good team that has been able to move the ball. The San Diego coaching staff is getting picked apart this off season, Cameron, most likely Lofton, and now Chudzinski.
Phil and RAC must have liked what they heard.
Welcome back, Joe, we missed you!…. That did not age well.
Yeah they've got to start somewheere. To kinda add to that, who are we to know who'd be the best OC? I mean it's fun to sit here and speculate, but the Browns could have had their choice of 10 different guys and I'd have been OK with whoever they picked to run the O. It's mostly about the horses, though - the players.
Hey Purp do you realize Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Bill Cowher, George Halas, Bill Bellyachecheck and Vince Lombardi didn't have any head coaching experience when they got their first head coaching jobs
Quote: Wow...hope he learned a lot under Cameron in SD
That is probably the hope. Like you said, let's hope he learned.
His inexperience doesn't bother me....only time will tell if he is the guy for the job......but to a degree he is familiar with the team and city, which can't hurt.
Does anybody know what the Chargers run?? a pro-set..don't think it is west coast as some wanted....or would be be best described as some sort of hybrid??
Now with him, and the lean towards the running game, Peterson might me more on the table than he was before.??
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Quote: In essence, it is the same as saying "I want a guy that has already been fired from an OC job at least once before". I laughed to myself when it hit me, it was really quite a funny realization.
But, but, but, but, but, but....the guy has no OC experience!!!
Really funny way to look at it, and honestly, almost everyone hired for a vacant spot by every team looking for new coaching staff has had no experience. It just seems like that's the way it is.
The good guys already have jobs and the new ones have to start somewhere. And, despite what the loudest among us proclaim, it's not always US who are hiring the guys with no experience -- it happens all the time.
**Insert clever signature here attributed to some historical figure that sounds interesting but has been taken completely out of context.
Almost any "experienced" coach you get, is going to have positive and negative aspects to his resume. It's been said that the only thing constant in NFL coaching is that, eventually, you're going to get fired. What causes the firing? Who knows... record, personality conflicts, players...It doesn't really matter... every coach out there gets fired... Even Shottenheimer was fired once upon a time.... in Cleveland....
With any coach, you roll the dice. The Lerner family like to go with hungry coaches, looking for a chance. Chud seems to have a good mix, college OC, interm NFL OC, offensive position coach in college and NFL, with success at all levels. It looks like he's worth a shot.
The Cleveland Browns - WE KNOW QUARTERBACKS ( Look at how many we've had ... )
Quote: Hey Purp do you realize Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Bill Cowher, George Halas, Bill Bellyachecheck and Vince Lombardi didn't have any head coaching experience when they got their first head coaching jobs
But, but, but, but, but, but....
**Insert clever signature here attributed to some historical figure that sounds interesting but has been taken completely out of context.
Quote: Now with him, and the lean towards the running game, Peterson might me more on the table than he was before.??
My thinking is this...Regardless of who the OC is, we still have the same problems. Granted, one OC may want a particular guy over another, but I have to think that your most pressing need is your most pressing need regardless.
I've been convinced by many on this board that THE need is LT. If it is between Thomas and Peterson when we pick, I hope this hire doesn't mean that we'll now take Peterson over Thomas.
I know we need a running back, and I wouldn't be disappointed with this pick, but we also need OL help.
I really hope the OC hire doesn't change our strategy - whatever that is.
I think everyone has said pretty much every feeling there is to have about our new OC so I dont really have any more input then anyone else but this I think sums up the take that all should have at this point.
Quote: My feeling is that we will have to adopt a wait and see approach with the new OC
Im also a little nervous for this guy. Will ignorant people be bashing the guy and calling for his head at the first blown call or bad call?
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yeah every thing we do is wrong...at least you're consistant 
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). In essence, it is the same as saying "I want a guy that has already been fired from an OC job at least once before". I laughed to myself when it hit me, it was really quite a funny realization. 
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