Mike Priefer let go of as Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator
The Browns elected on Tuesday morning to move on from special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, the team officially announced.
“I appreciate everything Prief has done for this team in his three seasons as my special teams coordinator, but I have decided to move in another direction in the best interest of our organization,” coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. “I know this city will forever be grateful for the job he did as acting head coach in our AFC Wildcard win and for all his contributions while leading the Browns special team’s units for the last four seasons. We wish Prief the best with his next opportunity.”
The Browns have requested permission to interview Indianapolis Colts Bubba Ventrone, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. Ventrone, who was a special teams standout for the Browns from 2009-12, is considered the top target to replace Priefer.
Ventrone has been the Colts’ special teams coordinator since 2018 after having been assistant special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2015-17. The Colts hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their head coach last week, and he could choose to retain Ventrone.
The move to dismiss Priefer comes more than a month after the Browns made another change at the coordinator level, having fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods hours after the season finale at Pittsburgh. Woods was replaced by former Detroit Lions head coach and long-time NFL assistant Jim Schwartz, who has been a defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl.
The two dismissals mean only offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt remains from Stefanski’s original group of coordinators. The Browns have also lost three assistant coaches as quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing was hired this week to be the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, while defensive line coach Chris Kiffin departed to be the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard did the same to be the inside linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Priefer, 56, and Stefanski date back to their days together with the Minnesota Vikings. Priefer, who was with the Vikings from 2011-18, was retained when Stefanski became the Browns’ coach after he spent 2019 as Freddie Kitchens’ special teams coordinator.
Arguably Priefer’s most memorable moment on the Browns’ coaching staff came in Janary 2021 when he had to serve as the interim head coach for their AFC Wild Card win over the Steelers. The Cleveland native was given the role after Stefanski tested positive for COVID and was unable to travel with the team to Pittsburgh.
Two years later, almost to the day of that first Browns playoff win since 1995, Stefanski gave a tepid response to a question on Jan. 9 about Priefer’s job status, saying those were things they were “working through.” He appeared to give Priefer a slight vote of confidence at that time.
“Played some good games, certainly late especially,” Stefanski said in a press conference the day after the season ended. “There were some challenges early. With (kicker) Cade (York), you have a rookie at the position. You knew he was going to have ups and downs, but very confident about him moving forward. I thought (punter) Corey (Bojorquez) did really well. Worked in new returners throughout the season. I thought there were some really good moments and then areas that we really want to get better.”