Report/Rumor on Browns interviewing former Buckeyes star LB & current OSU coach

James Laurinaitis could be one of many trying to leave the college coaching world

In today’s age of social media, where anyone can be verified on Twitter/X by paying money, it becomes difficult to decide what rumors/reports to share with our readers. The Cleveland Browns are always a very active franchise with players, coaches, stadium possibilities and more.

The conversation will turn to players, specifically the NFL draft and NFL free agency, soon but coaching changes have dominated the Browns offseason so far. Out are Alex Van Pelt, Stump Mitchell, Bill Callahan and TC McCartney. In are Ken Dorsey, Duce Staley, Tommy Rees, Andy Dickerson and Jacques Cesaire.

As we noted with a Rees rumor, the changes in college football around Name, Image and Likeness have made the jobs there less interesting to many coaches. Cleveland may have already benefited from that with the hiring of Rees after time as the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and Alabama.

Now comes another rumor/report that the Browns have interviewed former NFL linebacker James Laurinaitis for a position on their staff:

To be clear, we searched through the above profile’s messages to try to decide whether reporting on the tweet was worth it. Then Land-Grant Holy Land, a trusted site, quote tweeted it with “I have no reason to doubt it” to give us some reassurance.

The Ohio State University losing one of their Buckeyes legends to the NFL would be a strong statement of what is going on in college football. With Jason Tarver already in place as Cleveland’s linebackers coach, Laurinaitis would likely be coming on in some kind of assistant role on the defensive side of the ball.

Laurinaitis played eight years in the NFL, seven with the St. Louis Rams who drafted him near the top of the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. The son of “Road Warrior Animal” of professional wrestling fame, Laurinaitis retired in 2017.

Last season, the former Buckeye great coached at Notre Dame under former Ohio State teammate Marcus Freeman before joining back up with the Buckeyes.