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- Mike Priefer leaves Vikings to be Browns special teams coordinator (startribune.com) - The Vikings will have a new special teams coordinator in 2019 as Mike Priefer is going home. Priefer, the team’s special teams coordinator for the past eight seasons, will not return to the team in 2019. Instead, he will become special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under new coach Freddie Kitchens.
- Steve Wilks interviewing for defensive coordinator job (ohio.com) - Freddie Kitchens’ contract as the new head coach of the Browns has yet to be finalized, but he’s still moving full speed ahead when it comes to assembling a staff. Former Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks is interviewing to become the Browns’ defensive coordinator on Friday at team headquarters in Berea.
- Baker Mayfield’s involvement in the hiring of Freddie Kitchens (cleveland.com) - A source told cleveland.com that Baker Mayfield provided a favorable opinion of Kitchens the day after the season before he left town. GM John Dorsey had one-on-one meetings with all the players, and that’s presumably when he shared his thoughts. Since then, he’s been in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles and hasn’t been involved in the hiring process.
NFL:
- Cardinals hire Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator (azcentral.com) - The Cardinals have lured their new defensive coordinator to the desert, but he’s not exactly the “veteran coordinator” new coach Kliff Kingsbury and General Manager Steve Keim said they preferred to hire. Vance Joseph, who spent one season as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 2016 and spent the past two seasons head coach of the Broncos, has agreed to join the Cardinals’ staff and run the team’s defense, the team formally announced on Friday.
- Dolphins expected to hire Brian Flores as head coach (sun-sentinel.com) - The Miami Dolphins have identified New England Patriots defensive coach Brian Flores as the team’s top choice to become the franchise’s next head coach. Owner Steve Ross and General Manager Chris Grier finished the final round of interviews on Friday, talking to Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains about he vacancy created by Adam Gase’s dismissal.
- Jets moving to hire Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator (nypost.com) - Adam Gase officially became the Jets head coach Friday and he already appears to be targeting his first big hire. Gregg Williams is a strong possibility to be Gase’s defensive coordinator with the Jets, a source confirmed Friday.
- Hue Jackson out in Cincinnati (cincinnati.com) - With Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor looking like the eventual pick to take over as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, the deck is clearing to bring in much of his own staff. The biggest names to be let go on Friday were offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and assistant to the head coach Hue Jackson.