Ray Horton will go down in Cleveland Browns history as the only assistant coach – or coach of any kind – to ever be fired on two separate occasions after serving just one year.
That he had the same job both times, defensive coordinator, and that it happened in a span of just four seasons, are unique as well.
I’m not sure what that says in the big picture, other than, of course, that the expansion-era Browns continue to go through coaches like water, and in some cases, including this one, fast-flowing water.
In a conference call on Sunday, Browns head coach Hue Jackson bent over backwards to make it clear that Horton was not being used as a scapegoat for the club’s historic – there’s that word, more or less, again – 1-15 season. And I believe him. Until he is found to have been dishonest and disingenuous, I will continue to take him at his word. He seems to be a sincere man.
At the same time, though, I think there’s more to this situation than meets the eye.
Yes, Jackson was upset with the terrible way the defense played this year and is hiring Gregg Williams in Horton’s place because he feels the former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator can make it better – much, much better, which, as Jackson pointed out, it has to be if the Browns are to get to where they want to go.
But I also believe that Jackson and Horton had a substantial personality clash. It probably was that when Jackson asked him why the defense was so bad, Horton replied that lack of talent, an abundance of youth and too many injuries were the reasons, not the 3-4 scheme that Horton has always used. Horton refused to implement more 4-3 looks into game plans, despite Jackson’s strong and continual suggestions, and it got heated to the point where the head coach knew full well that they wouldn’t be able to work together next season.
In addition, Jackson had likely seen Horton’s dissatisfaction with their disagreement become painfully obvious to the players – and the other coaches – and that it was already poisoning the locker from. That’s what Jackson on Sunday was alluding to – discreetly so, as to not trash Horton publicly – when he talked about “creating the right environment to create a championship team” and mentioned, “These are hard decisions, but they are (for) me from a leadership position (decisions) that have to be made if you are going to create the winning environment that I hope to create here.”
Horton comes across as a friendly, intelligent man of letters with a quick wit, a sense of humor and a diverse outlook on things. But judging from this situation, he may be more stubborn than originally thought. Think about it, if he had agreed to switch to the 4-3 to see it worked better for the Browns and their talent, both down the stretch in 2016 and going forward, would he still be their defensive coordinator?
I think the answer is an emphatic yes.
And going one step further, it’s no secret that Horton is tremendously frustrated that he has not been hired as a head coach yet, and with the fact he will be 57 in three months, he is wondering – understandably so — if it will ever happen. Could it be that Horton’s stubbornness has come across to prospective employers?
Perhaps.
But as good of a guy as Horton is, the Browns can’t worry about an
of this. For goodness sakes, they’ve got to get this defense fixed.
