Ray Horton

Ray Horton is back as the Browns defensive coordinator.

(AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hue Jackson hasn't worked with his new defensive coordinator Ray Horton before, but they share strong AFC North bloodlines.

"I have always watched Ray from afar," Jackson said in a statement. "We have known each other. I have competed against him. I remember my time in Cincinnati competing against him when he was here. The guy is a tremendous football coach. He knows this division. He was raised in this division. He played in this division.''

Horton, who ran the Browns defense in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski, returns to Cleveland after two seasons as Titans defensive coordinator. He takes over a unit that finished 27th overall, 30th against the run and 22nd against the pass. In 2013, his Browns defense finished No. 9 overall, up 14 spots from the year before and the team's best finish since 1994.

"He understands what needs to be done to get our defense back to where it needs to be,'' said Jackson. "I wanted somebody that knew the lay of the land and understood the division, understands the culture here and understands the change that we need to make and someone who can lead our young players and develop players to get better.''

In 2015, the Browns underachieved from a pass-rush standpoint, finishing 28th with 29 sacks. For comparison's sake, the two AFC Championship teams, Denver and New England, finished first (52) and second (49) in sacks respectively. Paul Kruger, who had a team-high 11 sacks in 2014, finished with only 2.5 this season, his lowest total in the past five years. On getaway day, Kruger was vocal about how he was misused this season.

"(Horton's) defenses have gone after the quarterback,'' Jackson said. "They have been effective in stopping the run. They had a very good pass defense when he was here. That is what we need to do. We have some of the premier passers in this division when you talk about Ben Roethlisberger, Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco. We are going to have slow those guys down to have a chance to compete in this division. That is what we expect from our defense."

Horton, who runs 3-4 base defense, led the Titans to a No. 12 ranking in 2015, including No. 7 against the pass. They were 27th with 26.4 points allowed.

"I'm really excited to be back," Horton said. "I love the fans of Cleveland. When I was here last time they really embraced me. I can't tell you how many times I've met Cleveland fans in different cities. It is a great fan base. I am excited to come back and help Coach Jackson win. We haven't worked together previously, but I think there has been a mutual respect from across the field. It's one of those things where you appreciate the challenges from matching up against each other from opposite sides of the field."

Horton is in the process of hiring some of his other defensive assistants from Tennessee, including defensive backs Louie Cioffi, who was with him here in 2013, according to Fox Sports' Alex Marvez. He also reported that the Browns have hired former Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn for the same post here. A source told cleveland.com that Horton has been trying to lure other Titans assistants to cleveland.com.

Horton, a former NFL defensive back, will be reunited with some of the players he coached in 2013, including Joe Haden, who made his first Pro Bowl that year along with former safety T.J. Ward; Barkevious Mingo, who had five sacks as a rookie; and Kruger, who had 4.5 sacks in his first season as a Brown. The Browns limited opponents to an average of 3.9-yards per carry that season, which ranked eighth in the NFL and marked Cleveland's best total in 18 years.

The Browns defense also registered 40 sacks, their most since 2001.