CLEVELAND, Ohio - Freddie Kitchens has a good chance of being named head coach of the Browns, sources tell cleveland.com, and many signs are pointing that way.

One source close to the situation told cleveland.com that the Browns seem to be closing in on their man, and that it could be Kitchens. Another source told cleveland.com that several assistant coaches have already been asked to stay on.

Kitchens, 44, interviewed with the Browns on Monday, and he was the last of seven candidates interviewed in the first wave. Also on Monday, the Browns talked to Mike McCarthy or his representatives and put their interest in him on hold, according to Rob Demovsky, who covers the Packers for ESPN.com.

In addition, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels revealed on a conference call on Tuesday that he’s had “no contact” with the Browns and that the "book is closed’ on any more head coach interviews this year after he was passed over for the Packers job in favor of former Titans coordinator Matt LaFleur.

So for those wondering if McDaniels, the Canton-area native, was going to swoop in and take the job, it’s not going to happen.

The Browns blocked other NFL teams from interviewing Kitchens for their offensive coordinator positions so they could keep him here, either as head coach or offensive coordinator. After taking over midway through the season when Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired, Kitchens established himself as an effective, innovative and aggressive play caller who could get the most out of Baker Mayfield and keep him upright.

In the first eight games of the season with Haley calling the plays, Mayfield went 1-4 with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. He completed 58.3 percent of his attempts for 1,471 yards and was sacked 20 times. The Browns averaged 21 points in those games and scored 18 points or less on four occasions despite a boatload of takeaways

In the last eight games under Kitchens, he went 5-3, with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 2,254 yards and was sacked only five times.

In addition, Kitchens received rave reviews from national football experts and analysts, NBC Sports’ Peter King.

“Kitchens sounds exactly like the kind of coach teams in a coaching search should investigate,’’ King in his Football Morning in America column. “Everyone’s looking for the next (Sean) Payton, the next Sean McVay. Could it be the barrel-chested Alabamian who, despite never having been a coordinator before, has turned the Cleveland offense into must-see TV in his seven weeks on the job?’’

Kitchens, who bonded with Mayfield and developed a mutual trust, stressed last month that he “definitely, no doubt’’ wants to be a head coach and would love it to be here.

“I like it here and I like it here a lot, and everybody around here knows that I like it here,’’ said Kitchens, who started out as the running backs coach under Jackson and Haley. “I love the town of Cleveland. Cleveland and I get along well."

Dorsey was been impressed with Kitchens’ eight-game on-the-job interview.

“He’s moved the ball,’’ Dorsey said. “He’s gotten the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quicker. He’s put some flair and different route combinations together that help out the quarterback. Overall, he’s kind of moved the bar on the offensive side of the ball.”

He also praised his play calling ability.

“I’ve always said play calling is an art, not a true science,’’ said Dorsey. “You have to feel the moment. I think Freddie has a good feel for that type of thing.”

Kitchens’ resume is also impressive. He played quarterback for three seasons at Alabama under Gene Stallings. He’s also worked for some of the brightest minds in football, serving as a grad assistant under Nick Saban at LSU in 2000, and coaching tight ends for the Cowboys under Bill Parcells in 2006.

He spent 11 years in Arizona working under Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians, spending four seasons coaching quarterback Carson Palmer, who set multiple single-season team records, including passing yards (4,671), touchdown passes (35), and passer rating (104.6).

Arians thinks so much of Kitchens that he recently told NFL Network that he’d keep him on as offensive coordinator if he got the Browns’ job. Instead, Arians is a frontrunner for the Bucs job.

The Browns also interviewed interim coach Gregg Williams, former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Vikings interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell, Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.