Cleveland Browns

Hue Jackson was named the 16th full-time head coach in Cleveland Browns history by Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam on January 13, 2016. He brings 29 years of coaching experience, including the last 15 in the NFL. He has spent nine seasons coaching in the AFC North, during which time he helped his team advance to the postseason seven times. Jackson was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and guided the team to an 8-8 record. He has also served as offensive coordinator in Washington (2003), Atlanta (2007), Oakland (2010) and Cincinnati (2014-15).

Jackson has spent the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. During that time, he helped the Bengals to two division titles and a trip to the postseason all four years. In 2012, he served as secondary/assistant special teams coach before coaching the running backs in 2013. Jackson spent the past two seasons (2014-15) as offensive coordinator.

With Jackson as coordinator in 2015, the Bengals offense finished third in the AFC in yards per play (5.7) and points per game (26.2). He was voted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) as the Co-Assistant Coach of the Year as quarterback Andy Dalton set a career high and franchise record with a 106.3 rating, which led the AFC and was second in the NFL. After losing Dalton to injury in Week 14, Jackson guided quarterback A.J. McCarron to a 2-1 record in the final three games of the season as the Bengals clinched the AFC North title. The Cincinnati running game produced two 700-yard rushers in Jeremy Hill (794) and Giovani Bernard (730) for the first time since 1988. Tight end Tyler Eifert experienced a breakout season after hauling in 13 touchdown receptions, the most by a Bengals tight end in franchise history and the most by a Cincinnati player since 2001. Wide receiver A.J. Green added 10 receiving touchdowns on 86 receptions for 1,297 yards. Eifert, Green and left tackle Andrew Whitworth were selected to the Pro Bowl.

In Jackson’s first year as offensive coordinator for Cincinnati in 2014, the run game posted its highest yards per game average (134.1) since 2000. Dalton passed for 3,398 yards and Green totaled 1,041 receiving yards. Hill led all NFL rookies with 1,124 rushing yards, the second-most by a Bengals rookie in team history.

After spending the 2010 season as the Raiders offensive coordinator, Jackson was promoted to head coach in 2011. Oakland finished the year 8-8 and tied for first in the AFC West but missed the postseason via tiebreaker. The 8-8 mark was the best record by any Raiders team since 2002. The Raiders finished ninth in the NFL in total offense (379.5 yards per game) and seventh in rushing offense (131.9).

Before joining the Raiders, Jackson spent two seasons (2008-09) as quarterbacks coach for Baltimore, helping the Ravens advance to the playoffs both years. He was vital in the development of Joe Flacco, who was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 2008 and became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games as the Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game.

From 2004-06, Jackson served as the Bengals wide receivers coach, helping develop one of the best wide receiver tandems in NFL history with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. During that span, the two combined to average 173.3 catches, 2,363.3 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns per season. In 2005, Johnson led the AFC with 1,432 receiving yards. In 2006, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh became the first Bengals duo to each top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.

Jackson gained his first fulltime NFL experience with Washington, where he served as the running backs coach from 2001-02, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2003. Under Jackson’s tutelage, running back Stephen Davis led the NFC with 1,432 rushing yards in 2001. 

Jackson spent 14 years coaching on the college level, going from a graduate assistant at Pacific all the way to offensive coordinator at Southern California. He spent four seasons (1997-2000) as USC’s offensive coordinator, where he also helped to recruit and develop players, including quarterback Carson Palmer, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy and be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft.

He was a minority coaching fellowship intern with the Los Angeles Rams in 1990, Arizona Cardinals in 1992 and Washington Redskins in 1995. He also served as the running backs/wide receivers/special teams coach for the London Monarchs of the World League in 1991.

Born Oct. 22, 1965, Jackson was a quarterback at Pacific from 1985-86 and threw for 2,544 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Los Angeles native also lettered in basketball and earned his degree in physical education.

Jackson and his wife, Michelle, have three daughters, Jordyn, Baylee and Haydyn.