Giants to hire ex-Browns HC Freddie Kitchens as tight ends coach

Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Joe Judge and the New York Giants are expected to hire former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens.

League sources told ESPN and NFL Media on Monday the Giants are hiring Kitchens to be the team's tight ends coach. According to ESPN, Kitchens' hiring is a move that has been in the works for multiple weeks.

The Browns fired Kitchens in December after a 6-10 season, his first as a head coach. The Giants named Judge as the team's next head coach earlier this month.

In 2004 and 2005, Kitchens and Judge were together at Mississippi State. Judge was first a player and then a graduate assistant, while Kitchens served as the Bulldogs' tight ends coach in 2004 and running backs coach in 2005.

Kitchens, who originally arrived in Cleveland as a running backs coach, became the team's offensive coordinator midway through the 2018 campaign after former head coach Hue Jackson was fired. With Kitchens calling plays, quarterback Baker Mayfield broke the NFL rookie record with 27 touchdown passes.

The Browns' offensive production in the second half of the 2018 season prompted former general manager John Dorsey to promote Kitchens to head coach. In the 2019 campaign, Mayfield threw 21 interceptions and Cleveland's offense struggled.

Judge and the Giants previously hired ex-Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator.