A look at the resume for each coaching candidate

General manager John Dorsey is heading a search committee seeking the Browns ninth fulltime head coach since 1999. Here is a look at the candidates linked to the search through various media reports and confirmations by the Browns. They are listed in no particular order.

• Gregg Williams, 60 years old: General manager John Dorsey interviewed Williams for the head coaching job on Jan. 1, the Browns confirmed, but offered no comment on Dorsey’s impression of Williams. Williams was 5-3 as the Browns interim head coach after taking over for fired Hue Jackson midway through the 2018 season.

Williams was 17-31 as head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-2003. His contract was not renewed.

After Buffalo he worked as Redskins defensive coordinator from 2004-07, Jaguars defensive coordinator in 2008, Saints DC from 2009-11, the Rams DC in 2012, Titans senior assistant defensive coach in 2013 and Rams defensive coordinator from 2014-16. He was hired as Browns defensive coordinator in 2017 and retained that title when he replaced Jackson.

• Freddie Kitchens, 43: Kitchens started the season as the Browns running backs/associate head coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator when Todd Haley was fired along with Jackson. The Browns scored more than 24 points only once with Haley calling plays and five times with Kitchens calling plays.

Kitchens spent the previous 11 seasons on the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff. He was the quarterbacks coach in 2015 when Carson Palmer threw 35 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. Kitchens said he wants to be a head coach and will get an interview with Dorsey. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield likes Kitchens but isn’t getting involved in the coaching search.

• Kevin Stefanski, 35: Stefanski began the season as the Vikings quarterbacks coach and finished it as their offensive coordinator when John DeFilippo was fired on Dec. 11. It is worth noting Stefanski has been with the Vikings since 2006. Mike Zimmer is his third head coach with the Vikings, which must mean Stefanski is easy to work with. He is scheduled to meet with Dorsey on Jan. 7, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Stefanski’s contract with the Vikings is up. He is a candidate to be retained as their offensive coordinator.

• Mike McCarthy, 55: McCarthy was fired in midseason after 13 seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He was 12577-2 in the regular season and 10-8 in the postseason. The Packers were Super Bowl champions in 2010 and made the playoffs nine times with McCarthy as head coach.

Dorsey worked in the Packers front office for seven years while McCarthy was head coach. The Browns will interview McCarthy on Jan. 3, according to ESPN.

McCarthy is also a candidate to take the vacant Jets head coaching job. The Browns (Mayfield), Jets (Sam Darnold) and Cardinals (Josh Rosen) all have young, promising quarterbacks that make those coaching jobs attractive.

• Mike Munchak, 58: Munchak is the Steelers offensive line coach. He played 12 years at left guard for the Houston Oilers and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was 22-26 as head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2011-13. He has been with the Steelers since 2014.

Alex Marvez of Sirius XM Radio reported the Browns “have interest” in Munchak. The Broncos, Packers and Dolphins have formally asked the Steelers for permission to interview Munchak, according to ESPN.

• Dan Campbell, 42: Campbell is the tight ends/ assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints and one of the hottest candidates for teams looking for a head coach. The Browns will interview him on Jan. 4, according to NFL Network. The Packers and Cardinals have also asked the Saints for permission to interview Campbell.

Campbell, a former NFL tight end, was 5-7 as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015. He joined the Saints coaching staff under Sean Payton in 2016.

• Brian Flores, 37: Flores is the linebackers coach of the New England Patriots by title and their unofficial defensive coordinator. He is young, but intriguing because he was a pro scout, was a special teams assistant coach and an offensive assistant before setting in as a defensive assistant in 2011.

Flores has been groomed carefully by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but history shows that doesn’t mean he will be successful on his own. Many have tried (Josh McDaniels, Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weiss) and failed.

• Nick Sirianni, 37: Sirianni is in his first season as Colts’ offensive coordinator. He played wide receiver at Mount Union from 200003 and was Mount’s defensive backs coach in 200405. The Browns asked permission to interview him, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported.

Prior to joining Frank Reich’s staff in Indianapolis, Sirianni was with the Chiefs and Chargers. He was the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach in 2014-15 and their wide receivers coach in 2016-17.

Dorsey didn’t hire him, Mike Holmgren did, but in 2011, the Browns hired Pat Shurmur as head coach after Shurmur was offensive coordinator (Rams) for just one year. Shurmur was fired after going 9-23 in two seasons.

• Matt Eberflus, 48: Eberflus is the Colts defensive coordinator. The Indianapolis Star reported the Browns asked permission to interview him.

Eberflus coached the Browns linebackers for Eric Mangini in 2009-10. He spent the next seven years on Jason Garrett’s staff with the Dallas Cowboys.

Josh McDaniels, who was to be the Colts head coach in 2018, hired Eberflus to be his defensive coordinator before backing out of his deal with Colts owner Jim Irsay to remain the Patriots offensive coordinator. Reich decided to keep Eberflus. It turned out to be a wise decision; the Colts were 30th in defense in 2017 and 11th in 2018. They were 30th in points allowed in 2017 and 10th (21.5) in 2018.

• Adam Gase, 40: Gase was fired on Dec. 31 after going 23-26 in three seasons as Miami Dolphins head coach.

Gase was with the Broncos from 2009-2014. He was their offensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. He was offensive coordinator of the Bears in 2015 before the Dolphins hired him.

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was coached by Gase in Denver. Manning, a close friend of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, has reportedly recommended Gase to the Browns.