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No clue but I put this hire right up there with the Lombardi mistake.

Two more coaches:

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New Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton has brought at least one of his assistants from the Arizona Cardinals to Cleveland.

The Browns hired Louie Cioffi as their new defensive backs coach, the team announced today. For the past two seasons, Cioffi had the same job with the Cardinals while Horton served as their defensive coordinator.

“Louie is very well respected in the NFL,” Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said in a statement. “He possesses extensive experience working alongside some of the top defensive coaches in this league. He has worked closely with Ray [Horton], which will be a big advantage for our team.”

The Browns also named Shane Steichen as an offensive quality control coach and announced the previously reported hiring of Joe Cullen as their defensive line coach.

Steichen will reunite with new Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who spent the past six seasons as coach of the San Diego Chargers. Steichen was a defensive assistant with the Chargers the past two years.

“I am excited to have Joe, Louie and Shane as part of our staff,” Chudzinski said. “And believe that their knowledge of the game and coaching ability will be great assets to our players.”

Cullen served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line coach for the past three seasons.

“Joe has been an outstanding coach throughout his career,” Chudzinski said. “I was very impressed with the way he has been able to develop young players both at the collegiate level and at each of his two stints in the NFL, and his ability as a teacher will benefit our players as well.”

Here is more information about the three coaches from the Browns’ news release:

Cioffi brings 18 years of NFL coaching experience to the Browns staff, including the past two (2011-12) as the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive backs coach. Cioffi played a pivotal role in the development of 2011 first round draft pick, cornerback Patrick Peterson. In 2012, Peterson ranked fourth in the NFL with seven interceptions and led the league with five fumble recoveries en route to being the only Cardinal selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl. In his first season with the Cardinals, Cioffi helped guide strong safety Adrian Wilson to a Pro Bowl selection. Prior to Arizona, Cioffi spent 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, first as a defensive assistant (1997-2002) and then as assistant defensive backs coach (2003-10). Hired in 1997 as a defensive assistant at the age of 23, Cioffi was the youngest fulltime assistant coach in the NFL at that time. He began his coaching career in 1993 as a staff assistant with the New York Jets. Following two seasons with the Jets, Cioffi coached wide receivers for two seasons (1995-96) at C.W. Post University in Brookville, N.Y. Born in Queens, N.Y., Cioffi attended college at SUNY-Stony Brook. He and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters, Cecilia Elle and Corrine, and a son, Sigismondo Connor.

Steichen joins the Browns after spending the previous two seasons (2011-12) as a defensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers. Prior to joining the Chargers, he spent the 2010 season as an offensive assistant at the University of Louisville following three seasons at his alma mater, the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, as a student graduate assistant (2007) and an offensive graduate assistant (2008-09). A four-year letterman (2003-06) as a quarterback at UNLV, Steichen passed for 2,755 career yards with 22 touchdowns. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies. A native of Sacramento, California, he attended Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills. Steichen is married (Nina).

Cullen has 23 years of coaching experience, including the last three as the defensive line coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While with the Jaguars, Cullen helped develop defensive tackle Tyson Alualu who was the 10th overall pick in 2010. Since being drafted, Alualu has started all 48 career games and led the club in sacks in 2012. Prior to the Jaguars, Cullen served as defensive line coach at Idaho State in 2009, after spending three seasons (2006-08) with the Detroit Lions as defensive line coach, where he helped develop Cliff Avril who led all rookies in sacks (6) and forced fumbles (4) in 2008. Before his stint at Idaho State, Cullen spent time at Illinois (2005), Indiana (2002-04), Memphis (2001) and Louisiana State (1999). He spent eight seasons (1992-98, 2000) at Richmond, including three as defensive coordinator. Cullen played nose guard at the University of Massachusetts from 1986-89, where he was a three time all-conference honoree. He began his coaching career overseeing the defensive line at his alma mater from 1990-91. Cullen earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management.

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Jaguars new assistant coach Joe Cullen is out to show he deserves another chance

By Gene Frenette

February 15, 2010


Cullen had two embarrassing alcohol-related incidents with the Detroit Lions in 2006. Jaguars new assistant coach Joe Cullen is out to show he deserves another chance.

The man entrusted with repairing the Jaguars’ anemic pass rush has been the object of much derision, both in water-cooler conversation and cyberspace. Joe Cullen understands a lot of the skepticism about Jacksonville hiring him last month as its defensive line coach.

Given the franchise’s heavy public emphasis on character and bringing quality people into the organization, many questioned why the Jaguars would give Cullen another NFL lifeline. Two embarrassing alcohol-related incidents nearly sabotaged his career with the Detroit Lions in 2006 before it really began.

Cullen respects his doubters, saying unabashedly that he brought the ridicule on himself. He’s not expecting a free pass on his past or immediate trust from strangers. All the admitted alcoholic and 42-year-old Boston-area native asks is a chance to show people in his new NFL city that he’s conquering his demons, that he’s ready to get on with the business of helping the Jaguars improve on last year’s league-low 14 quarterback sacks.

He desperately wants to convince the Jaguars and their fans that he’s worthy of this opportunity, even though critics out there still hold Cullen’s indiscretions against him.

“First, if there’s anyone out there that’s perfect, I’d like to meet them,” Cullen said in an hour-long interview with the Times-Union. “Number two, with me and my isolated incidents, I’ve never been in trouble in my life other than when alcohol was involved. So I made a promise to myself that alcohol and I weren’t going to be teammates any more.

“I know my judgment — what I’m going to do and what I want to do — is clear. I think if you show true remorse, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to better yourself, not just as a football coach but as a person, then, to me, people deserve second chances. You’re always going to have people that are going to doubt you, always going to have people say, 'Ahhh, you shouldn’t have hired that guy.’ That’s what I’d say to that.”

Being hired by the Jaguars represents a professional rebirth for Cullen, who says he’s up to three-and-a-half years and counting on his path to sobriety. When coach Rod Marinelli’s staff in Detroit was fired after the 2008 season, Cullen found himself in limbo, unable to get another NFL job because the stigma of his alcohol offenses during the 2006 preseason were too damaging for prospective employers.

On Aug. 24 that year, the night before a preseason game, Cullen gained league-wide infamy for pulling up at a Wendy’s drive-through in Dearborn, Mich., while naked behind the wheel of an SUV. A restaurant employee witnessed the incident around 11:15 p.m. and reported it to police, who charged Cullen with indecent and obscene conduct.

Eight days later, he was stopped by police shortly before midnight for driving his Ford Explorer without its headlights on. Cullen was charged with drunk driving for having a blood-alcohol content of .12, over Michigan’s legal limit of .08. After the second incident, the Lions suspended him for the season-opening game against Seattle.

Later that season, the NFL imposed its own punishment for those two incidents, fining Cullen $20,000 and suspending him for a Week 16 game against the Bears for conduct detrimental to the league.

In February, 2007, Cullen reached a plea agreement on all the misdemeanor charges against him. He was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week.

Cullen, who worked last year as the defensive coordinator at Idaho State for longtime friend John Zamberlin, went through the NFL-sponsored alcohol rehabilitation outpatient program from September 2006 until the following July. Cullen attended the Maple Grove program run by director Tom Ghena, who worked with him in group meetings and one-on-one sessions.

Ghena declined to talk to the Times-Union about Cullen, citing a policy not to discuss any patient’s rehabilitation. However, people with intimate knowledge of Cullen’s road toward sobriety have vouched for his commitment to help not only the Jaguars on the field, but others who suffer from alcoholism. He has spoken to NFL players and coaches about the disease’s impact on his life.

“He went from an NFL assistant to having his salary cut 80 percent [at Idaho State],” Marinelli said. “He was just trying to survive, then couldn’t get a sniff for another college job after last season, but he stayed upbeat. I knew if he had a chance to interview with somebody, he’d knock it out.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote letters to NFL teams and colleges on Cullen’s behalf, saying, in effect, he did everything the league required to restore his damaged reputation. Goodell based his assessment on several conversations with Cullen, as well as reports from several sources.

In terms of moral support, few coaches stood behind Cullen more than Marinelli, who allowed him to keep working for his entire three-year Lions tenure after his arrests. Marinelli, now the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator/assistant head coach, took a lot of media criticism for not immediately firing Cullen. He’s impressed at how Cullen, the object of so much public ridicule for the Wendy’s incident, battled his alcohol problem and stayed composed through turbulent times.

“I got criticized for [not firing Cullen] in the media, which generates the fans,” Marinelli said. “The incident [at Wendy’s], how it looked, was bad. No doubt about it. When the incidents happened, I asked myself, 'Is it disease-based or a bad guy making bad decisions?’ The bottom line is he’s an alcoholic. That’s when you know it’s a disease. No way you do that if you love football.

“I had to toe the line with him. He went through every program, everything the commissioner asked him to do. The thing that sticks out in my mind was the enormous amount of criticism [Cullen] took and he stood the course. All he did was prepare each week and not listen to the critics. Do you know how hard that is when people are pounding you in the dirt? Now he has a chance to go forward with the Jaguars.

“The last two years, he’s had a ton of doors slammed in his face. Joe Cullen is a great story.”

Restoring a damaged image

It never occurred to Cullen until he was arrested twice in a one-week span that he had a problem with alcohol. From the time he was an adult, he says he often went long periods without drinking, but it took the embarrassment of making the wrong kind of headlines to realize he was going down a bad road.

“I could go six months without a drink, but I couldn’t guarantee I’d stop at two or three when I did drink,” he said.

Cullen, a nose guard and 1989 team MVP at the University of Massachusetts, spent his first 15 coaching seasons at five different college stops without any blotch on his resume. Then in the spring of 2005, after being hired as line coach at Ole Miss, Cullen was cited for public drunkenness at a sandwich shop after falling asleep while waiting for an order.

Though the charge was ultimately dropped, Ole Miss fired Cullen. He filed a lawsuit to retrieve his salary, and the two parties reached an out-of-court settlement. Cullen subsequently took at job at Illinois as a defensive graduate assistant under Ron Zook, who said the incident in Oxford gave him no reason to hesitate in hiring Cullen. He was ready to promote him to defensive coordinator when Marinelli called Cullen with an offer to join the Lions.

“Joe has never been anything but class, just a top-notch coach with us,” Zook said. “Now, he made a mistake [with the Lions] and paid for it. The Jaguars couldn’t have found a better football coach or person.”

But there’s no denying that the Wendy’s episode sticks to Cullen, as evidenced by former Lions quarterback Jon Kitna and his wife spoofing the incident a year later at a teammate’s Halloween party. No explanation for showing up naked at a drive-through is likely sufficient, but Cullen didn’t blink when asked about it.

“Well, it’s simple; it’s called a blackout, so I don’t know,” Cullen said. “When you have a blackout, bang. You realize through being educated [about alcohol consumption] that you drink too much. I’m sure there’s a lot of incidents out there where people don’t remember a thing they did the night when they were drinking. That’s basically what happened.”

Cullen’s road to redemption began as the controversy diminished over his three seasons with Detroit, helped immensely by Marinelli. He got to know Cullen when he coached the defensive line with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990s, while Cullen held a similar post at the University of Richmond. With the Lions, Marinelli took Cullen under his wing, steadfastly standing behind him during his turmoil.

When the Jaguars went searching for a defensive line coach to replaced the fired Ted Monachino, they had reason to consider giving Cullen a shot. In addition to Goodell vouching for his comeback and Marinelli being a vocal supporter, Idaho State’s Zamberlin, who coached Cullen at UMass and worked with him at Richmond, gave him a ringing endorsement to Del Rio. Cullen was in Zamberlin’s wedding party and the pair were once roommates.

“I know coach Del Rio wanted to get back to that kind of [aggressive pass-rushing] scheme on defense, so I knew Joe would get an interview,” Zamberlin said. “Joe [Cullen] is thankful to Del Rio and the Jaguars for believing in him. You’re not going to find a more loyal, hard-working guy. He’s learned from his mistakes. I wouldn’t have someone in my home and around my family if I didn’t feel that way.’’

Within the Jaguars building, Cullen also had a couple of key references. Terry McDonough, the team’s director of player personnel, was a classmate and good friend of Cullen’s from their days in the UMass sports management program. They had known each other since competing at rival high schools.

Jaguars linebackers coach Mark Duffner was the head coach at Holy Cross (1987-91) when Cullen played against his team.

“I never saw [Cullen] drunk in college,” McDonough said. “He was the designated driver, the good guy. He was consumed with football and school. I didn’t know him as a drinker. He called me after the Wendy’s thing happened and said, 'Terry, I can’t drink alcohol. I forget what happens when I drink. I have to get help.’ ”

By all accounts, Cullen, who credits his “strong Catholic faith” for helping him through the darkest period of his life, has remained clean since that DUI offense. After Del Rio made the call on the hire, Weaver signed off on it.

“We thoroughly evaluated Joe Cullen and we are fully aware of the past,” Weaver said. “We have done due diligence in considering him and I received the support of commissioner Goodell in making this hire. Joe Cullen is an experienced coach with an extensive and impressive background in coaching, and we’re pleased to have Joe join our coaching staff.”

Fixing the pass rush

For the Jaguars, it’s not so much about where Cullen’s career has been, but how he can help them improve on their biggest weakness. Del Rio talks endlessly about trying to “affect the quarterback,” but Jacksonville couldn’t do either out of a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme last season.

Since being hired last month, Cullen has reviewed every game tape from 2009, trying to familiarize himself with personnel and what he can do to improve the pass rush. During his three years in Detroit, the Lions’ defensive line twice finished in the league’s top 10 in total sacks after finishing 24th in his first year.

“Looking at the tape, there’s some guys here like Derrick Harvey and John Henderson that can get to the quarterback,” Cullen said. “There were a lot of close-but-no-cigar [quarterback sacks]. I can’t answer why the pass rush wasn’t better, because I wasn’t here. I know my job is to fix that. I’ll come in and work to do the things we need to do to get to the quarterback.”

Despite the Lions’ abysmal 10-38 record from 2006-08 and Cullen’s rough start off the field, his work with the defensive line was considered somewhat of a bright spot. Detroit had 97 quarterback sacks in three years, just below the combined NFL average of 103 over that time span.

Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, a Clay High graduate, played one season with Cullen and had five sacks as an undersized rookie in 2008. Avril says he learned a lot and liked Cullen’s approach to his job.

“He actually has a concept to the pass rush,” Avril said. “He’s intense, an in-your-face kind of a guy, but I enjoyed my time with him. He helped me get to the quarterback quite a few times. The drills that we did in practice were very helpful. They made you think about small things [in pass-rush] that you might not think about.

“I felt like he knew a lot about rushing the passer. He knew what particular guys needed to work on to get to the quarterback.”

But can Cullen amp up a Jaguars pass-rush that features two starting defensive ends, Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, who have eight combined sacks in two years? Reggie Hayward, the team’s most effective pass-rusher in 2008 (4.5 sacks), missed nearly all of last season with a broken leg.

Cullen is especially fond of Harvey, a player he says the Lions targeted with their first-round pick (No. 17) two years ago before the Jaguars traded up to take him. He believes Harvey, despite having just two sacks last season, can still be a force in the league.

“Our pick was going to be Derrick Harvey if he was available,” Cullen said. “We did a lot of research on him, put him through a great one-on-one workout after Florida’s pro day. The qualities we saw in Derrick are still there. He’s explosive, strong. He’s going to be a powerful rusher. With more repetition and work, that can come out of him.”

Whether Cullen can draw that out of Harvey and the rest of the defensive line, only time will bear out. What is certain is that the alcohol issue that almost derailed his coaching career has been addressed. Cullen can move on from a disgraced past and make the best of his NFL second chance.

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Are we going to get a new special teams coach to fire Hodges?

We retained Tabor.

So we hired a 4-3 DL coach. Interesting...

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two embarrassing alcohol-related incidents

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Rookie...

We needed someone to make Ray Horton seem normal.

Joe Cullen had some serious drinking problems that almost ended his coaching career...lets hope all of that is behind him.

I'm more interested in the job Cullen has done as a DLine coach...so I took the time to look up the performance of the unit he was responsible for, while coaching at Jacksonville in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

I compared the performance of Cullen's Jags Dline to the Browns Dline, under coach Dwaine Board ...


2012
rk....team...................pts/g....rsh yds...rsh avg..tfl...tfl pct...sacks...sack%...qb hits...qb hit %..
32 Jacksonville Jaguars ..27.8... 2256 .......4.1 ....51 ...9.4 ......20 .....3.6 ........59 ........10.6...
12 Cleveland Browns .....23 .....1898 ......4.2 .....59 ..12.9 ......38 ......6.0 .......65 ........10.2...


2011
25 Cleveland Browns .....19.2 ...2356 .....4.4 ....66 ..12.3 .....31 ....6.2 ......62 .........12.4...
26 Jacksonville Jaguars ...20.6 ...1667 .....3.8 ....62 ..14.3 .....31 ...5.7 ......70 .........12.9...


2010
25 Cleveland Browns ....20.8 ...2070 ....4.1 ....48 ....9.5 ......29 .....5.4 .....77 ..........14.4...
30 Jacksonville Jags .....26.2 ...1945 ...4.7 ...66 ....15.9 ......26 ....4.9 .....71 ..........13.3...


Clearly, Dwaine Board did a better job with the Browns Dline than Cullen did with the Jags Dline.

The Browns Dline got better, year to year, improving from a 25th ranked unit in 2010 to a 12th ranked unit in 2012.

Joe Cullen's Dline went from a 30th ranked unit in 2010 to the worst Dline unit in 2012, ranked 32nd.

Change just for the sake of change, does little to help the Browns reach their goals. Joe Cullen's record as a coach deserves to be questioned..especially those who hired him.

It's damn easy to rip something up as Banner is doing, but the end result must be progress or the changes will be proven to be foolish.

I do believe that Chud is hiring his own assistants, not Banner.

I know that Chud considered Mel Tucker as DC, so it's entirely possible that Tucker recommended Cullen as DL coach.

Further, I really don't like much of the talent Jacksonville had on their DL last year. They imported Jason Babin after he fell off the edge last year, and he had 1.5 sacks for the Jags in 5 games after having 4 sacks for the Eagles in 11 games. They had a rookie in Tyler Alualu at DT, and he had 3.5 sacks ...... they had our old friend CJ Mosely at the other DT spot, and then they had Jeremy Mincey at the opposite DE spot.

I think that we have far superior talent, and some of our backups might start for them.

That being said, I wanted to keep Board .... but new head coach means new coaches.

of all the coaching hires done so far, Cullen is the first questionable one. obviously, there is something that this staff liked about him.

but, of course, you use it as a chance to rip Banner. considering the staff that Chud has put together, I think we can give him the benefit of the doubt at one spot, no?

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I do believe that Chud is hiring his own assistants, not Banner.

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October 17, 2012, Jimmy Haslam talking about Joe Banner and what his responsibilities will be...

"I believe adding Joe Banner to our team as the CEO in charge of all day-to-day operations puts us in a position to have a great winning team and its my pleasure to introduce to you the new CEO of the Cleveland Browns, Joe Banner.”

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Banner, with the blessing of owner Jimmy Haslam, is in charge of the football side of the Browns and everything that goes on, goes through Banner.

Banner wanted that power...and Haslam gave him that power...but along with that power comes responsibility for the moves and hires that are made.

I have no doubt that Banner okd the hiring of Joe Cullen.

Since when does okay'ing a hire mean that he's hiring the coaches.

Chud is obviously finding the guys he wants and then he is checking to make sure everyone above him is okay with it.

Mountain out of a mole hill with some people.

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but, of course, you use it as a chance to rip Banner.

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no...pointing out Joe Cullen's record with the Jags...the record of the unit he coached...the Dline..

...and pointing out that Banner is the man in charge of hiring coaches...IS RIPPING BANNER?

As I said above, Banner wanted total control, got total control and is responsible for the hiring and firing of coaches, players and front office personnel.

Until Haslam comes out with some other management setup...hiring and firing of coaches, players and front office personnel...it's Banner's responsibility to make those decisions.

On the hiring of this guy Cullen...it would appear that Banner fired a better Dline coach than he hired.

I believe that even my seven year old son knows that Chud is hiring his own staff... I could have him bring you up to speed if you like!?!

I am sure he ok'd it as well. But the hire was made by Chud. The HC always picks his staff.


As for comparing one team to the other, way too many variables to deduce one guy is better than the other. Different players, differnt backers and corners, etc.

You might be able to look at coordinators that way to some degree, but I can't see how simply looking at numbers allows one to know that one position coach did a better job than the other.

JMO

Banner may be in charge of "day to day operations", but that does not mean that every decision is made by him personally. He might sign off on assistants, but he's almost certainly not interviewing positions coaches.

yt...I posted and sourced the critical language that outlines what Banner's responsibilities are...here it is again...

October 17, 2012, Jimmy Haslam talking about Joe Banner and what his responsibilities will be...

"I believe adding Joe Banner to our team as the CEO in charge of all day-to-day operations puts us in a position to have a great winning team and its my pleasure to introduce to you the new CEO of the Cleveland Browns, Joe Banner.”

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The critical words "in charge of all day-to-day operations"...

When you or anyone finds a Haslam comment that contradicts this Haslam quote...POST IT with the source.

People can and probably will try to spin it, twist it, claim it does not mean what it says OR simply make something up about what these words mean..."in charge of all day-to-day operations"...

...but in plain English, it says Banner is ..."in charge of all day-to-day operations"...

Not really hard to understand...

If I am the CEO of McDonald's, I'm not hiring employees in the restaurants. I might be in charge of day to day operations, but that doesn't mean that I am scheduling toilet cleanings in the Cleveland West side restaurant.

Banner is the CEO of the Cleveland Browns. He is hiring the people who then, in turn, hire their people.

Time to move on.

OC/QB Coach - Norv
RB - ???
WR Coach - Norv's Son
TE Coach - ???
OL Coaches - Warhop/Sullivan
Offensive Quality Control - Shane Steichen

DC - Horton
D-Line Coach - Cullen
Linebackers - ???
DB Coach - Cioffi

Am I Missing anyone?

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Time to move on.

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While that would be nice, we both know it won't happen!!

Wasn't the ability to put together a great staff one of the reasons Chud was hired?

Meh, par for the course around here.

The fear mongering that some are perpetrating is hilarious. "OH MY GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE WE BROKE UP A STAFF THAT WENT 5-11 WHAT ARE WE THINKING!"

Guess we disagree here, but to me a total do-over on the coaching and FO front is more than "very little" change.

The new regime is Haslam...he has hired Banner for Holmgren, then they have gone on to revamp the rest. That's not little anyway I look at this. Those ARE actions, nobody forced Haslam to do this. So pretending that nothing or very little has changed is funny at best

You guys seem to be good at hitting the reset button every 2 years, me not so much when I didn't see it as necessary...and this was NOT to that extent

Listening to Norv Turner, it sure sounds like we're going into next year with Weeden as the starter.

Every time he was asked a question about Weeden, he responded with future planes, what he's seen, and so on. When he was asked about McCoy, he answered with coach-speak about how they really haven't had a chance to evaluate players and so on.

I'm torn on having Turner function as both QB coach and OC ..... as I usually like a QB coach on the sideline to interact with the QB, rather than having him up in the sky box ....... although, maybe Norv will call plays from the sidelines with input from another coach in th box. He has functioned as play caller from the sidelines as head coach, so he should be able to do it.

I am thinking that we just hired an "offensive assistant" who might be the coach up in the box. Who knows?