Mike McCarthy Given +500 Odds to Be Head Coach of the Browns in 2020, McDaniels Listed at +1000

• The Cleveland Browns are just 2-5 in Freddie Kitchens’ first season as head coach
• The Browns have 70 penalties already and are on pace for a league record
• Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is favored to take over should Kitchens get fired

The Cleveland Browns were supposed to be contenders in the AFC North but through seven games this season, they have two wins. A lot of their failures lie at the feet of head coach Freddie Kitchens, who is looking like he might only last one year on this job.

Who is the best bet to be the Browns’ head coach in Week 1 of 2020?

Odds on Cleveland Browns Head Coach in Week 1 of 2020

*Odds taken October 29th

Kitchens on the Hot Seat

The Browns were the 2019 offseason champions as they made a number of upgrades to their roster. That included the acquisition of superstar wideout Odell Beckham Jr. However, he’s mostly been a non-factor while the rest of the offense has underachieved. Outside of a 40-25 win at Baltimore, the Browns are averaging just 15.5 points per game.

Freddie Kitchens on the sideline calling plays for the #Browns pic.twitter.com/DS8Yh7GOZ8

— Rob Hubbard (@rob_hub13) October 27, 2019

On top of that, the Browns have been undisciplined, currently on pace for a league record in penalties. Add it all up and Kitchens looks like he’ll be out the door after just one year unless he can turn this around.

Mike McCarthy Favored To Takeover If Kitchens Replaced

Although Kitchens is still the favorite to return as the Browns head coach next season, former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy would be favored to take over if he’s fired. McCarthy had a mostly successful time as the Packers bench boss but the team did fall apart in his final two seasons.

Mike McCarthy sitting at home realizing he might still have a job if he used Aaron Jones properly pic.twitter.com/7ZezH5GgJW

— Brooks (@EBrooksUncut) October 28, 2019

Although McCarthy isn’t the sexiest name on the board, he would offer an experienced voice from a head coach who has a track record of success. In his first 11 seasons in Green Bay, the Packers had just one losing season. That might be appealing to a Browns franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2007.

Could The Browns Pry Away McDaniels?

There’s generally a dearth of impressive young coaches-to-be, but one name that frequently comes up is Josh McDaniels. It looks like he’ll be the man to take over for Bill Belichick when he decides to retire but recent reports suggest that it could be a while. Belichick just said he wouldn’t mind coaching into his 70s. (He’s currently 67.)

Read as: Josh McDaniels to the Falcons confirmed https://t.co/dlLrMAhPVm

— Rise Up Reader (@RiseUpReader) October 28, 2019

There are also rumors that Tom Brady will be moving on at the end of the season as both he and his trainer sold their houses in Boston. Does McDaniels really want to stick around to take over a non-Brady led Patriots team? The opportunity to coach Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. might be appealing.

What’s The Best Bet?

I do think Kitchens is gone at the end of the season but I don’t like any of the names on the board. The guys I consider a good bet are Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and current Michigan boss Jim Harbaugh – believe it or not.

For everyone asking about no Mike McCarthy, Eric Bienemy, Matt Eberflus, Dennis Allen, Josh McDaniels, et al. … please see the criteria. Lots of deserving candidates every year. This is one subset, in hopes of identifying names that people may be less familiar with.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 24, 2019

The guys on this board are uninspiring. Gregg Williams isn’t coming back, Urban Meyer is a longshot, and McCarthy and Jim Caldwell are retreads.

There’s a prop where you can bet ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on Kitchens getting fired, and I think ‘no’ is your best bet rather than picking the specific coach.