BEREA, OH - JANUARY 23: Cleveland Browns new head coach Mike Pettine fields questions from the media during a press conference to announce his hiring at the Browns training facility on January 23, 2014 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Pettine (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) – It didn’t take new Browns head coach Mike Pettine long to raid his former team’s coaching staff and begin filling out his new one in Cleveland.

In one of the worst kept secrets, Pettine named Bills linebackers coach Jim O’Neil his defensive coordinator Monday night.

The only question seemed to be if Buffalo would let the Browns even speak to O’Neil.

Permission came on Monday and Bills head coach Doug Marrone indicated as a press conference that he expected O’Neil as well as 2-3 other assistants to follow Pettine down I-90.

O’Neil and Pettine worked together last season in Buffalo as well as the previous 4 years in New York with the Jets on Rex Ryan’s coaching staff. The history between the 2 also predates their time together in the NFL – O’Neil played for Pettine’s father, Mike Sr., in high school.

Brian Fleury, who was Buffalo’s defensive quality control coach, joins the Browns defensive staff as an assistant linebackers coach and Bills linebackers coach Chuck Driesbach will hold the same position with the Browns.

The four helped coach the Bills to the 10th ranked defense in 2013 after finishing ranked 22nd in 2012. Buffalo also set a franchise record with 57 sacks – second best in the league – this past season.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who has been with the Browns for the last 3 years, was retained by Pettine along with assistant special teams coach Shawn Mennenga and assistant defensive backs coach Bobby Babich from Rob Chudzinski’s staff.

Pettine also added a pair of assistants from Tampa Bay. Jeff Hafley will take over as the new defensive backs coach after holding the same position last season and Brian Angelichio will coach tight ends after spending the previous 2 seasons in the same role at Tampa Bay.

The Bills hired Jim Schwartz to replace Pettine last Friday and introduced the former Lions coach Monday afternoon.

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