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The Cleveland Browns may be interested in Chuck Pagano for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
But the team may have some competition for the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, according to Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic:
Chuck Pagano might be the front-runner for the DC job in Arizona. But new Browns coach Freddie Kitchens is also very interested in him, per source.
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) January 10, 2019
Pagano is also drawing interest from the Carolina Panthers, who are interviewing him for as a defensive backs coach, according to Pro Football Talk.
Pagano sat out the 2018 season after being fired by the Colts. In six seasons as head coach in Indianapolis, he posted a record of 53-43, but missed the playoffs his final three seasons with the club, done in by injuries (most notably to quarterback Andrew Luck), poor drafting and poor coaching decisions.
The Colts hired Pagano in 2012 after he spent the 2011 season as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. That year the Ravens allowed the third-fewest points and yards in NFL.
But Pagano was not able to deliver the same defensive results with the Colts, according to Zak Keefer at indystar.com:
The Colts never finished in the top 10 in total defense, and were third from the bottom this year. Making matters worse: Pagano went 0-9 against the AFC’s top teams during his tenure, New England and Pittsburgh. His Colts lost by 27 or more points nine times over the past six seasons, the most of any team in football.
Pagano has a long coaching history, in both the NFL and college, with stops as a secondary coach in Cleveland from 2001 to 2004, with the Oakland Raiders from 2005 to 2006, and the Ravens from 2008 to 2010.