Ex-Cleveland Browns head coach to get a third chance in college

Ex-Browns head coach will get another shot as a college coach.

The Browns have had a lot of former head coaches since 1999. A lot. More than necessary. Some good, most not worth remembering. Some historic, for all the wrong reasons. That may be unfair to someone’s legacy, especially when you realize a person is more than just their head coaching record but for the sake of this website, that’s usually what we focus on; their accomplishments or lack thereof. It’s always interesting when an Ex-Browns personality; be it player or coach, lands a high-profile gig elsewhere. Like Eric Mangini becoming an ESPN analyst. Talk about unqualified. So here we are, minding our own business when we find out Ex-Browns head coach Hue Jackson has a new head coaching job.

Jackson has been signed on to coach at Grambling State, a historically black university in Grambling, LA. Jackson leaves Tennessee State to take the gig at Grambling, leaving his position of offensive coordinator at the school, who currently has a 5-6 record.

Jackson replaces Broderick Fobbs, a former Grambling running back, as head coach.

Hue Jackson has a reputation that is in need of rehabbing

People often forget to mention what Jackson did in Oakland during the 2011 season. With Carson Palmer as his quarterback, and playing poorly, Jackson was able to start off the season 7-4 with names like Michael Bush and Darrius Heyward-Bey as his best playmakers. Even in their prime, those weren’t guys you wanted to rely on. So for Jackson to get eight wins out of the club by the time the season ended was a miracle.

Many were perplexed when he was fired and replaced, as the season was a success. At least compared to the ones prior.

His time in Cleveland would change the perception of him as a head coach. Whatever goodwill he had in 2011 was dying after going 1-15 in 2016, and then was declared dead after his 0-16 record in 2017. The losing could’ve been forgiven, after all those were the worst teams the Browns ever put together. The problem came with how he handled the whole thing. His constant snide comments in the media and his clashing with coaching became par for the course. His need to throw assistants under the bus was his M.O. for a time and after a while, the excuse of a lack of talent became silenced by bone-headed decisions he was making in games.

After getting fired, he spent months doing the talk-show circuit, telling anyone that’d listen that he was set up for failure. Even if true, it was a bad look considering he already had a reputation of not taking responsibility for his own shortcomings.

Now is the chance for him to re-work his image. Heck, no one was a bigger jerk as an NFL head coach over the last 20 years than Nick Sabin (well, maybe Bobby Petrino) and the college game rejuvenated his (their) career(s).

If you can quit mid-season to take a college job, because the pro game is too hard, and you can still be seen as one of the best head coaches in the country, then maybe – just maybe, Jackson can revive his career at Grambling.

I’m rooting for him because wanting to see people fail is just weird.