Ex-Browns Assistant Bob Wylie Downplays Freddie Kitchens's Role in 2018 Offense

Bob Wylie was the Browns offensive line coach last season but was let go after Freddie Kitchens became the head coach.

Former Browns assistant coach Boby Wylie appeared on The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Radio on Saturday and took aim at how much impact coach Freddie Kitchens had on Cleveland's offense last season after he became the offensive coordinator in the second half of the campaign.

Wylie, who was fired following the 2018 season, explained how other assistants played a bigger role in making the offense improve after coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were fired following the team's 2-5-1 start.

Additionally, Wylie noted that the reasons Kitchens got the head coaching job over interim coach Gregg Williams were Kitchens's relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield and how Kitchens would be less combative with general manager John Dorsey than Williams.

"Baker likes Freddie," Wylie said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. "There's a good relationship there even though [former Browns quarterback coach] Kenny Zampese did all the coaching there. Baker likes Freddie, so that had to [factor] into the decision. Freddie didn’t have any coordinator experience or head coaching experience."

Wylie added that he was "shocked" Williams didn't get promoted to head coach because he "turned the team around."

"In the second half of the season, that's his work that got it to where it is," Wylie said. "My own personal feeling is Gregg was too strong a candidate for the seat. I don't think Dorsey wanted to go head-to-head with Gregg like he had to do with Andy Reid in Kansas City, so he kind of filtered Gregg out of the picture and he kept the search going."

Wylie also described how he perceived Kitchens's decision to let go of some of the assistants who came over with Jackson.

"[It was like] 'Thank you guys, you guys did a great job. Thanks for helping me get the interview, okay? But I'm going to take this job and you guys are going to become collateral damage, that's what will happen,'" Wylie said.

He also explained how he learned of his departure during his 122-day stay in the hospital for a serious ankle and knee injury he suffered in late December.

"My daughter called me and said, 'Hey, dad, you just got fired today,'" Wylie said. "That's the first time I head about it. I was laying in a hospital bed. They packed up my office and they put my office in storage because I was still in the hospital. So that's how it all kind of went down. That stuff happens in the National Football League."

On Monday, Kitchens said he would fire any assistant coaches who turned out to be anonymous sources for the media.