Cleveland Browns

Browns hire Kirby Wilson to lead running game

Published Jan. 20, 2016 5:59 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Will Gibson

Head coach Hue Jackson’s staff is starting to take shape, as the Cleveland Browns have hired longtime NFL assistant coach Kirby Wilson to be the team’s running game coordinator. Wilson spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Before that he spent six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with other stops including Arizona, Tampa Bay, Washington, and New England.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson was first with the report, with plenty of confirmations coming thereafter.

Here’s the scoop on Wilson from when the Browns were rumored to be interested.

Who exactly is Kirby Wilson and why would the Browns want him as their running game coordinator, you ask? For starters, the 54-year-old has 17 years of experience coaching running backs in the NFL. He has coached five running backs who rank among the top 25 all-time for career rushing yards: Edgerrin James, Thomas Jones, Curtis Martin, Adrian Peterson, and the all-time leader, Emmitt Smith. Not bad, eh?

Wilson was also the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running backs coach from 2007-13, so he knows plenty about the division and what it takes to bring home the AFC North crown. Besides the Steelers, he has also coached running backs for Washington, Tampa Bay, and New England.

In 2014, Wilson was given a tough job. With Adrian Peterson going through some personal issues, he had to figure out a way for two inexperienced running backs — Matt Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon — to lead his offense. Asiata had nine touchdowns (tied for third most in the league) while McKinnon averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Also not bad.

It isn’t completely clear how a “running game coordinator” differs from a “running backs coach.” But the Browns are the team that brought the title of “Chief Strategy Officer” to the NFL, so perhaps this is the new m.o.

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