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Report: Cleveland Browns request permission to interview New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for head coaching vacancy

The Browns are looking to interview the Northeast Ohio native McDaniels to replace Freddie Kitchens.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are apparently wasting no time in their search for the next head coach. 

On Monday morning, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Browns have requested permission to interview New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for the head coaching position. 

Per Schefter, the Carolina Panthers are also expected to request to interview McDaniels for their head coaching vacancy. 

The Browns would have to wait until the Patriots are done in the NFL playoffs before they could hire McDaniels. New England will host Tennessee in the AFC Wild Card playoffs this weekend. 

Per ESPN reporter Josina Anderson, McDaniels is expected to take the interview with the Browns. "McDaniels is ready to be a HC again," she tweeted. 

McDaniels has spent 16 years as an assistant with the Patriots under Bill Belichick, 11 of those seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. In 2009, he interviewed with then-Browns owner Randy Lerner to replace Romeo Crennel as head coach, but lost out to Eric Mangini. He was hired by the Broncos soon after and spent two seasons as Denver's head coach before being fired in 2010 after going 11-17. 

In February of 2018, it appeared that McDaniels would be the next coach of the Indianapolis Colts. After agreeing to terms with the team, he abruptly decided to return to New England. 

Prior to the Browns hiring Freddie Kitchens in January, there had been reports that McDaniels was "enthusiastically interested" in the Browns head coaching job. He did interview with the Green Bay Packers, but lost out to Matt LaFleur.

McDaniels has many ties to Northeast Ohio. He was born in Barberton, played quarterback at Canton McKinley High School for his father, Thom, before moving on to play college football at John Carroll University. His wife Laura is from Parma. 

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