Browns Coach Hue Jackson didn’t seem to take kindly to an insinuation Tuesday that the team’s search for a franchise quarterback will be affected by the departure of Pep Hamilton to the University of Michigan.
Hamilton coached the Browns quarterbacks last season and served as assistant head coach. He was visible on the pro day workout circuit with Jackson last season, and earlier this month Browns executive vice president Sashi Brown named Hamilton as one of the people who would be involved with the team’s quarterback search.
Jackson was quite clear that the search will go on.
“I’m being very honest. You guys know how I feel about Pep. I brought Pep here,” Jackson said, per the Akron Beacon Journal. “But if I’m not mistaken, I coached the quarterback, met with the quarterback, called the offense’s plays, so I think we’re making more of this than what it is. I was putting Pep in a position to keep grooming him ...and obviously he got an better opportunity for himself.
“So I came here to coach that position and get it better, and I plan on doing that. So that has nothing to do with it. I’m going to take my expertise -- I’ve been doing this for a long time -- and put a quarterback on this football team that can win. That’s my job. We’re going to do it collectively as a group. But hopefully we’re going to lean on my expertise and what I need at that position to win.”
The Browns haven’t hired a replacement for Hamilton -- and might not. Jackson shifted tight ends coach Greg Seamon to quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive line coach Mark Hutson to tight ends coach for this week’s Senior Bowl, and Jackson will decide once the team returns to Cleveland if those changes will become permanent.
The Browns are coaching the South team at this week’s Senior Bowl.
