Jackson new HC
CLEVELAND — Hue Jackson has experience as a head coach, knows the AFC North and has fixed quarterbacks.
Just what the Cleveland Browns were looking for.
The Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, who waited four years for his second crack at leading an NFL team, has been hired as Cleveland’s next coach — the struggling franchise’s eighth since 1999 and sixth since 2008.
Jackson, 50, finalized his deal on Wednesday, swiftly ending the Browns’ search which began on Jan. 3 when owner Jimmy Haslam fired Mike Pettine after two losing seasons.
Jackson had also interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers and was scheduled to meet later this week with the New York Giants, but Haslam was not going to be outbid for a coach he coveted.
The Browns were drawn to Jackson because of his one season as Oakland’s head coach, his deep knowledge inside their division and his strong record working with quarterbacks like Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton.
It remains to be seen what plans Jackson might have for Johnny Manziel, the troubled QB whose two seasons in Cleveland have been filled with controversy and more chaos than the Browns needed.
Jackson spent the past two seasons overseeing Cincinnati’s offense. A former college quarterback at Pacific, Jackson pushed Dalton