Report: Browns hired former Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as head coach

After what seems like an extended search, the Cleveland Browns have reportedly hired former Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their next head coach.

As of Thursday morning, a final decision about the vacant position hadn’t been made, but the Browns apparently felt that they couldn’t wait any longer.

Pettine, 47, replaces Rob Chudzinski, who was fired Dec. 29 after going 4-12 in his lone season as head coach. The Browns have interviewed 10 candidates over the past 25 days. The ex-Bill will become the franchise's 15th full-time head coach.

After meeting with the team twice, Pettine flew back to Cleveland on Thursday for a third meeting and reportedly wanted the job "badly." Pettine also previously served as the New York Jets defensive coordinator and helped Buffalo's defense record a franchise-best 57 sacks in 2013.

Other candidates for the position included Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, former Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo, fired Titans coach Mike Munchak, Cowboys special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and fired Bucs coach Greg Schiano.

Here’s a short clip about what things were like when Pettine was the New York Jets defensive coordinator:

[Cleveland.com] [NFL]