AP source: Browns hire Childress as OC

[January 28, 2012]  CLEVELAND (AP) -- Pat Shurmur is turning Cleveland's struggling offense over to a close friend.

Shurmur hired former Minnesota coach Brad Childress as his first offensive coordinator on Friday, reuniting two coaches who spent seven seasons together on Andy Reid's staff with the Philadelphia Eagles.

A person with knowledge of the hiring said the deal with Childress "is done." The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the hiring.

Childress spent nearly five seasons with the Vikings before he was fired in 2010. He'll take over a Browns offense that scored just 218 points last season, finished 29th in yardage, 28th in rushing and 24th in passing.

Shurmur served as both head coach and coordinator during his first season in Cleveland. It's not yet known if Childress, who recently interviewed for Tampa Bay's head coaching job, will call plays for Shurmur.

The 55-year-old Childress was Philadelphia's offensive coordinator from 2003-05 when Shurmur coached the Eagles quarterbacks. While he was with the Eagles, Childress went to three straight NFC title games and the Super Bowl in 2004.

Childress went 39-35 in four-plus seasons with the Vikings, taking them to the playoffs three times.

He was fired after 10 games in 2010, one season after he famously picked up quarterback Brett Favre at the airport, received a contract extension and came within a field goal of reaching the Super Bowl.

[Associated Press; By TOM WITHERS]

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