The Cleveland Browns announced Mike Bloomgren, former Rice University head football coach, as the new offensive line coach.
Bloomgren's journey in the NFL began in 2007 when he joined the New York Jets staff as an offensive quality control coach for two seasons. He moved on to an offensive assistant role in 2009 when Rex Ryan became the Jets head coach and served as an assistant offensive coordinator in 2010 when the Jets finished with an 11-5 record— averaging nearly 23 points per game.
"That time trained and instilled a lot of beliefs I have in the position and in the manner in which it should be taught," Bloomgren said.
Bloomgren was in the head coach position for seven seasons at Rice starting in 2018. He led the football program to bowl game appearances back to back in 2022 and 2023 for the first time since 2013 and 2014— which was the fourth time in the program's history.
"Mike has a wealth of knowledge and is extremely bright," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "In addition to his NFL experience, he has worked in a number of pro-style offenses on the college level. He has proven to be successful as a teacher and motivator, which will be vital for our offensive line room. We are excited to add Mike to our coaching staff."
The Browns dealt with offensive struggles throughout the 2024 season, but they look to build consistency and be a healthy unit again as an offensive line this year.
Bloomgren brings 26 years of coaching experience working with the offensive line to the Browns.
"I am excited about joining this organization," said Bloomgren. "From the Haslams to the alignment with Andrew (Berry) and Kevin, I think it's an exciting time to be here. The commitment that they all have to making this place great, and making another playoff run, is everything I want to be a part of. I think as a coach, we exist for the players and that's always going to be the case. I also think it's our job to give them clear direction of how to do things. I know there's a Hall of Fame player here in Joel Bitonio. I think there are some really good pieces, and we have to see exactly how they can fit and see exactly how this offense gets formed, but I am excited about the potential with that group."
