It's back to the drawing board for the Cleveland Browns as they fired Freddie Kitchens after their embarrassing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals marked what was another heartbreaking season for Cleveland fans. In his place, Mike McCarthy is what many consider to be the likely man to take his place in the Dawg Pound.
SportsLine released a list of head coaches who are favorites to take over the Cleveland job after Kitchens' one-and-done stint. While the former Green Bay Packers coach is the biggest favorite to win, there are other interesting names who are linked with the job.
Who will be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns?
Mike McCarthy +300
Josh McDaniels +450
Ron Rivera +600
Urban Meyer +800
Kevin Stefanski +1000
Matt Rhule +1500Via @SportsLine Oddsmakers
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) December 30, 2019
Among the other names on the list, Ron Rivera is the most interesting name to pop up. He was relieved of his coaching duties with the Carolina Panthers during the second half of the season. However, he's considered a lock for the Washington Redskins post after they made a quick move for him. It's safe to assume that he won't be looking to take over the Browns.
However, it's likely that McCarthy would be eager to take over a young and talented Browns team that struggles to convert their talent on the field. Baker Mayfield would need a strong head coach who he can bounce off with in order to succeed.
McCarthy should have an idea of how to turn Mayfield into a lethal quarterback. He spent 13 years at the Green Bay Packers sideline, helping Aaron Rodgers become the efficient pass-caller he is today. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010 and helped them become a consistent playoff team from 2009 to 2016.
If everything goes well, there's no reason to believe that he won't be the man on the Cleveland sidelines by the start of the 2020 campaign.