Browns hire ex-Cardinals coach Steve Wilks as DC

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Former Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks is off the market after officially being hired as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator.

The Browns announced the hire on Monday before Freddie Kitchens was officially introduced as the franchise's newest head coach.

Cleveland also hired Todd Monken as offensive coordinator, Mike Priefer as special teams coach, Stump Mitchell as running backs coach/run game coordinator, James Campen as offensive line/associate head coach, Ryan Lindley as quarterbacks coach, Jody Wright as special assistant to the head coach and Jim Dray and Tyler Tettleton as offensive quality control coaches.

Wilks has been a coach for 25 years, serving 14 seasons in the NFL. He led the Arizona Cardinals to a 3-13 mark in 2018, before being fired after his first season. He spent six seasons with the Carolina Panthers before being hired by the Cardinals. He also spent three seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears before landing in San Diego.

Wilks began his coaching career as the defensive coordinator at Johnson C. Smith University in 1995.

Monken comes to Cleveland after spending three seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. He served as the head coach at Southern Mississippi for three seasons before landing with the Buccaneers. Monken also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and at Oklahoma State, Louisiana State, Grand Valley State, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan and Louisiana Tech.