LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 25: A flag bearer for the Nebraska Cornhuskers waves a flag after the first score during their game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Rutgers 42-24. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)With several NFL teams still fixing their coaching staffs for next season, it turns out that John Parrella will land an assistant job with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns have been reconstructing their coaching staff over the past few weeks, as Freddie Kitchens will enter his first season as the head coach.
Although this latest move won’t generate much buzz around the league, Cleveland’s front office is adding another assistant that should bring new ideas and methods to the team.
Following several reports of him possibly joining the NFL, it turns out that Parrella will serve as the Browns’ assistant defensive line coach for the 2019 season.
Parrella has spent time working in a similar role for Nebraska. He played for the Huskers, earning All-Big Eight honors twice, and serving as team captain as a senior in 1992, before embarking on a 12-year NFL career. Before joining the coaching staff at his alma mater, he served as the defensive line coach at Northern Michigan.
This might seem like an unconventional hire for Cleveland, but the Browns have actually been adding more college coaches lately.
From 247Sports:
With the Browns, Parrella will join the staff of new head coach Freddie Kitchens, and will work under defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi, who was the defensive coordinator for Alabama last season, but left the Crimson Tide to move on to the professional ranks.
The Browns’ defensive staff features several assistant coaches with experience in the college ranks. The Browns hired hired Jody Wright from UAB, John Lilly from Tennessee, Lupoi from Alabama and Parrella from Nebraska.
Cleveland certainly has enough playmakers on defense, such as Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Jamie Collins.
Now it’ll be on the coaching staff to turn their potential into production for next season, as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will have an interesting cast of coaches to work with.
