Browns Part Ways with Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer Per Report

According to a report from Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, Mike Priefer will no longer be the special teams coach of the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer have "parted ways" according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. The news comes more than a month since the season has concluded. The Browns now have four assistant coach openings on their coaching staff.

I’m told the #Browns have parted ways with Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer, per league source.

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 21, 2023

Priefer is the second coordinator and fifth assistant coach to leave the team since the season ended over a month ago. Joe Woods, the other coordinator replaced, has already taken a job with the New Orleans Saints in the same role and been replaced by Jim Schwartz.

In his first two seasons with the Browns, Priefer's special teams unit was ranked in the bottom five. In his third season, that unit started the same way before rallying in the second half, making significant contributions to victories including the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As the Browns look to hire their new special teams coach, much of the focus will likely be on kicker Cade York. York, the fourth-round pick out of LSU, came in with a powerful leg, but had issues with field goal accuracy, especially from the right hash. The Browns want their special teams units to perform better than they have under Priefer, but getting York right will be one of the more important aspects of that decision.

With the Browns now having Deshaun Watson available for the entire offseason process and no suspension, the team will need everything to work including their kicking game.

Along with special teams, the Browns are also looking to hire a quarterbacks coach, defensive backs coach and defensive line coach.