Former Pitt QB Fired From Browns

Former Pitt Panthers quarterback Alex Van Pelt has been dismissed from his position with the Browns.

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers players are all around the NFL but with the offseason starting to hit for more and more teams who have been knocked out of the playoffs, some of those former Panthers are going to have to find new homes in professional football. 

One of those former Pitt players is Alex Van Pelt, a record-setting quarterback from the 1980s who had served as offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns for the past four seasons. According to a report from Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, Van Pelt and some other members of the offensive coaching staff have been dismissed from their positions with the Browns. 

I’m told Alex Van Pelt informed some of members of the team yesterday he was let go Tuesday afternoon upon hearing this specific news & received messages of condolences to that end, along with Mitchell and McCartney per source. https://t.co/rWdOOZAPi9

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 17, 2024

Van Pelt took over as offensive play-caller for the first time during the 2020 playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when head coach Kevin Stefanski missed the game. The Browns lost but Van Pelt proceeded to lead offenses that improved, but still ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in yards and points per game more often than not.

Oddly enough, this was Van Pelt's best season as offensive coordinator, despite key injuries at quarterback and running back. Cleveland ranked 10th in points and 16th in yards per game among NFL teams, even without Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson in the mix for most of the year. Quarterback Joe Flacco revived his career with Van Pelt as his position coach, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in five games. 

Van Pelt still ranks among the most prolific passers in school history. He threw for 10,913 yards, 64 touchdowns and 59 interceptions while completing 57.8% of his passes over four seasons. His single-season record for passing yards (3,163), which broke Dan Marino's previous high-watermark, stood for 11 years after Van Pelt's graduation. 

He has 10 years of experience as a player in the NFL and 17 seasons as a coach under his belt with the Bills, Buccaneers, Packers, Bengals and Browns, meaning he will still likely find suitors elsewhere around the league. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Pitt Needs Change in Backcourt

Pitt G Jaland Lowe Enjoys Career Night

Cold Shooting Leads Pitt to Loss Against Syracuse

Former Pitt RB Declares for NFL Draft

Pitt Introduces Three New Assistant Coaches

Former Pitt Defender Works Out for Packers

• Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt