Dowell Loggains

Former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is generating interest from the Cleveland Browns according to Mary Kay Cabot.

(Mark Humphrey)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Browns finally have a head coach. Now that Mike Pettine is on board, he needs to fill out his staff. Oftentimes first-time head coaches like to hire assistants that they are familiar with. Pettine raided the Bills' staff, hiring four of them to his staff, including Jim O'Neil, who will serve as defensive coordinator.

Defense is Pettine's strength, having served on Rex Ryan's staff before stepping out of the shadows. But offense has been a problem in Cleveland, and Pettine is still looking for his offensive coordinator. A first-year NFL head coach, he could help himself by hiring someone with experience.

Some names have been linked to Cleveland. One coach that will not be coming is Gary Kubiak. The former Texans head coach is joining the Baltimore Ravens, and will become the new offensive coordinator for the Browns' division rival. Cam Cameron, who the Browns were also rumored to be interested in, is apparently staying at LSU.

The following is a list of candidates that have either been linked to the Browns offensive coordinator position, make sense when connecting the dots or have caught my attention.

Dowell Loggains – He was part of the wreckage in Tennessee when the Titans decided to get rid of Mike Munchak. Loggains, 33, spent six years in Tennessee. He served as offensive coordinator (2012-2013), quarterbacks coach (2010-2012) and offensive quality control coach (2008-2009).

Known as a strong play caller, Loggains has worked with a number of successful coordinators, including Sean Payton, Norm Chow, Mike Heimerdinger and former Browns coach Chris Palmer. The Titans were 4-2, averaging nearly 24 points before QB Jake Locker suffered a season-ending foot injury. Before getting hurt, Locker had tossed eight touchdowns against four interceptions and was making positive strides. Mary Kay Cabot says the Browns have an interest

Bill Callahan, Dallas Cowboys OL coach/OC – Right now there is a lot of speculation about the Dallas Cowboys. If Scott Linehan, who is reportedly in Dallas, takes a job, it could lead to Callahan's departure. Callahan would become one of the most experienced assistants on the market.

His NFL career started in 1995 with the Philadelphia Eagles. After three years in Philly, Callahan took over as Oakland Raiders head coach before becoming the head coach in 2002. Fired by the Raiders at the end of the 2003 season, Callahan went back to the college ranks and served as Nebraska head coach. His last two stops have been in New York, where he worked with Pettine and currently in Dallas. He may not be going anywhere though.

Former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan had a role in developing Robert Griffin III into Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.

Kyle Shanahan – Once looked at as a future coaching star, the shine is starting to fade a bit. Fired along with his father after a 3-13 season in Washington, Shanahan is looking for a fresh start. Aside from this past season, his resume looks appealing. He helped Robert Griffin III become Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. Before that, Shanahan became the youngest coordinator in the league when he took over Houston's offense in 2008. He has helped two different offenses rise to the Top 10. A former college wideout, his system is very WR-friendly. First it was Andre Johnson in Houston, who recorded career highs in yards and touchdowns with Shanahan calling plays. This past season it was Pierre Garcon in Washington. With Josh Gordon emerging as a star, it could be a very good marriage between the Browns and the 34-year-old offensive mind.

Matt Cavanaugh, Chicago Bears QB coach – The ties between Cavanaugh and Pettine run deep. It was Cavanaugh who helped Pettine land his first job in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. Not only were they together in Baltimore in the early 2000s when Cavanaugh was the Ravens' offensive coordinator from 1999-2004, but they also worked on Rex Ryan's staff together in New York just a few years ago. Cavanaugh, a native of Youngstown, has experience as an offensive coordinator, and works well with QBs. Could Pettine reward him more than a decade later for opening the first door and make the 57-year-old Cavanaugh an offensive coordinator once again?

George "Geep" Chryst, San Francisco 49ers QB coach – He has over 20 years of coaching experience, including 18 seasons in the NFL. After strong work with the Carolina Panthers running game between 2006 and 2010, Chryst took over as San Francisco QB coach in 2011. That year he helped guide QB Alex Smith to his breakout season. Jim Harbaugh has gotten much of the credit for Smith's improvement and the rise of Colin Kaepernick, but Geep, has been in the background. He also has two years of being an offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers on his resume.

Randy Fichtner, Pittsburgh Steelers QB coach – The Cleveland native began his NFL coaching career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. He started as the wide receivers coach, where he helped develop Santonio Holmes into a Super Bowl MVP and Mike Wallace into a Pro Bowl player. For the last four seasons, Fichtner has coached the Steelers' quarterbacks. He's 50 years old and doesn't have experience calling plays. But owner Jimmy Haslam has a familiarity with him.

Mike Bloomgren, Stanford director of offense/OL coach – He spent time with Pettine in New York. While Pettine was making his mark on defense, Bloomgren was the Jets' assistant offensive coordinator from 2009-2011. He left the NFL following the 2011 season, and joined Stanford's coaching staff. Bloomgren is now the director of offense and OL coach for the Cardinal.

Jim Hostler, Baltimore Ravens WR coach – He has done a good job with Torrey Smith and the Ravens' wideouts. Hostler's resume has offensive coordinator experience on it, although that's probably a time that he would like to forget. He was publicly criticized by 49ers running back Frank Gore, who felt he wasn't utilized properly as the San Francisco rushing attack finished near the bottom of the league. Fired once as offensive coordinator, he is probably not an ideal candidate to run the Browns' offense. But the ties with Pettine are there as they were on the Baltimore staff together once before.

Former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel worked with Mike Pettine in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Rick Neuheisel – Also a part of the Ravens’ staff when Pettine served as outside linebackers’ coach, Neuheisel has been off the sidelines since 2011. His last stop was at UCLA as head coach where he compiled a record of 87-59. He has experience as offensive coordinator and works with quarterbacks (2005-2006 in Baltimore).

Dick Beck – Hey, why not? The Browns apparently have an affinity for North Penn high school, talking about the impressive mark Pettine set when he was coaching there and what Pettine's father did before that. Beck was Pettine's assistant at one time and has since taken over as North Penn's head coach, leading the team to an impressive 10-4 record this past season. (No, I'm not really being serious about this one).