He’s gone 4-2 in six games, winning more than Hue Jackson won in 40. With an outside shot at the playoffs and a renewed spirit in Cleveland, could Browns interim coach Gregg Williams be coaching his way into the permanent gig?
It’s a question that will keep coming up if the Browns keep winning, especially if the planets align in a way that keeps the Browns alive for a playoff berth into Week 17. That’s one of the realities of going with an interim coach; the players play better once they realize that their best chance of sticking with the team will come if they can convince management to stick with the guy who finishes out the season.
So would the Browns actually give the job to Williams? As one source with an opposing AFC team said when presented with that question, “I hope they do.”
The best litmus test (or, as Simms says it, littinus test) will be the extent to which other teams become interested in hiring Williams. Would the Packers or any other team that ends up looking for a head coach give Williams a look? The answer to that question will go a long way toward answering the question of whether the Browns should keep Williams, or whether they should parlay the presence of Baker Mayfield and an arrow pointing straight up into the hiring of a coach who will propel the franchise to the next level, and beyond.
Even if the Browns end up being good enough to get to the playoffs, the Browns would be better off using what the team has done since firing Hue Jackson to find the coach who will be in the best position to make the team into a consistent contender.
