'Wrong decision': Browns assistant Chris Kiffin spurned chance to coach with brother, Lane
BEREA — Chris Kiffin quickly realized he’d made the wrong decision, and it took him less than a month to rectify it.
In January, the Browns defensive line coach left Cleveland for the University of Mississippi, where his older brother, Lane, is the coach. On Feb. 10, Chris Kiffin returned to the Browns, rejoining coach Kevin Stefanski’s staff.
“For me, it was a decision based on the wrong reasons,” Kiffin said Saturday. “At the end of the day, I really missed it here. I didn’t want to move my kids, to make a long story short.
“I was very, very fortunate to get my job back here. It’s a great job, a great opportunity. So once I got back I don’t take a single day for granted. I’m happy to be back.”
Kiffin and his wife, Angela, have four children — daughters Bella, Grace and Taylor and son Christian — ages 7, 8, 11 and 12.
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He said he had underestimated the difference in college and NFL coaches’ schedules, especially in the offseason.
“It was a no-brainer once I realized I made the wrong decision,” he said. “In the NFL offseason you’re able to get out of here at a decent hour and go see them play games. I was gone only three weeks. They stayed here.”
Stefanski wouldn’t say if he looked for Kiffin’s replacement.
“I don’t remember, that was a long time ago,” Stefanski said. “That was unique opportunity that came up with his brother down there, but very excited that Kiff’s back.”
Kiffin had worked at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant in 2007, and as defensive line coach/defensive recruiting coordinator there from 2012-16. He spent a year at Florida Atlantic in 2017 before he got his first full-time NFL job in 2018 with the San Francisco 49ers. In his second season with the 49ers, Kiffin worked with current Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods.
Kiffin said things have changed in college football since name, image and likeness deals were approved on June 30, 2021.
“It was always a lot of recruiting in the spring and winter. It’s non-stop recruiting. But now it’s even more so with the N.I.L. There are a lot of things to deal with.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns assistant Chris Kiffin spent three weeks at Ole Miss
