Chudzinski named O-coordinator

01.20.2007

The Browns have hired a familiar face to be their offensive coordinator.

Rob Chudzinski, an Ohio native who coached the Browns' tight ends in 2004, was introduced by head coach Romeo Crennel at a Saturday press conference. He spent the past two seasons as the Chargers' tight ends coach and interviewed with the Browns this week after the Chargers were eliminated from the AFC Playoffs.

The job gives Chudzinski his first full-time chance to be an NFL coordinator; he served as offensive coordinator under interim coach Terry Robiskie for the Browns for the final five games of the 2004 season.

Crennel said he and general manager Phil Savage were impressed by Chudzinski's presentation during his interview Friday. Crennel said it covered every aspect of running the offense.

"His offensive presentation, I thought it was well thought out," Crennel said. "It was all encompassing. It covered many aspects of the offensive structures. We talked about coaching, schedules and discipline and he had a plan for all of those things - even for our situation here.

"Even though he's young he covered all those bases and had an answer and a thought about all of the things we talked to him about. That doesn't guarantee success but the fact that he had a plan and was comprehensive in that plan that was very impressive."

Of his specific offensive style, Chudzinski said, "I've always been around and been exposed to attacking-style offenses that are built on a balance of run and pass and that utilize the talents of the guys that are part of that offense. Giving those guys a chance to make plays for you in an attacking style is basically what we've talked primarily about."

Chudzinski said he bypassed an opportunity to interview for the now-vacant coordinator post for the league's top-scoring offense in San Diego because he couldn't pass up the chance to return home and again coach the team he rooted for growing up in Toledo.

Chudzinski now will try to vastly improve an offense that ranked 31st in the league in 2006 in yards per game and averaged just 14.9 points per contest.

"This opportunity and the chance to come home and be apart of this organization again is what brought me here," he said. "It was a decision of heart and head. I wanted to part of this organization. I like challenges. If you don't like challenges you shouldn't be coaching."

He was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at his alma mater, the University of Miami, from 2001-03 - Kellen Winslow's three seasons there - after five years (1996-2000) as the tight ends coach. Miami won the national championship in 2001 with Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey as the starter.

"Kellen and I were very close there," Chudzinski said. "We had a great relationship and that's always how it has been.

"It's important that (players) feel like you're there to make them the very best they can be and that you care about them as people as well. There has to be a trust factor that you're doing everything you can to help them and they're reciprocating."

He said he looks forward to the opportunity to coach the team's strong personalities like Winslow and receiver Braylon Edwards.

"That's what leadership is - building a relationship with those guys," he said. "They're going to be a big part of our plan and they need to understand and know that. That kind of strong personality and passion and desire to win is what you want out of guys. To be honest with you I'd rather have guys be that way than the other way."

Winslow isn't the only premier tight end Chudzinski has developed and coached. During the past two seasons with the Chargers, Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates managed 2,025 yards on 160 catches with 19 touchdowns.

At Miami, Chudzinski also coached All-America tight ends and eventual first-round draft picks Bubba Franks and Jeremy Shockey.

Chudzinski will be 39 this spring. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Miami in 1994, serving in that role for two years before being named tight ends coach.

He played tight end at Miami from 1986-90, earned three letters, and was a member of two national championship teams (1987 and 1989). He graduated with a B.A. in business administration in 1990 and earned a MBA in 1996.

He attended St. John's High School in Toledo.