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Several different head coaches emerged from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, and Browns legend Josh Cribbs wants to see former Patriots assistant coach Bill O’Brien make his way to Cleveland.
“It’s a name that a lot of you guys might not know, but he comes from the Belichick tree, Bill O’Brien,” Cribbs said on Thursday when BigPlay’s “The Top Dawg Show” asked him who he would like to see as the next Browns head coach.
Cribbs played eight seasons for the Browns from 2005 to 2012, and is one of the greatest kickoff return specialists in NFL history, with a remarkable eight kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Cleveland has yet to part ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski, but there’s a chance it could happen, given the Browns’ 2-6 start to the season after coming off a season where Cleveland only won three games.
If the Browns decide to make a coaching change, O’Brien could be an intriguing choice. He had two separate stints in New England, with his first tenure lasting from 2007 to 2011. During that time, he held various positions, including quarterback coach, wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator. O’Brien returned for one season in 2023 as New England’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
O’Brien is currently the head coach of Boston College, but it has a 1-8 record, which means he could be gone at the end of the year.
The 56-year-old served as the head coach of the Texans from 2014 to 2020, finishing his tenure with a 52-48 record. During his last four seasons in Houston, O’Brien worked closely with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is currently with the Browns.
Watson may not return to Cleveland next season, but if he does, he could benefit from reconnecting with his former head coach.
