Horton Gets Out of Deal in Tennessee; Will Join Browns as New Defensive Coordinator

It sounds like new Browns head coach Hue Jackson is going to get the defensive coordinator he wanted after all, as a report from The Tennessean says that Ray Horton will be coming back to Cleveland.

Horton was the Browns defensive coordinator in 2013 under then Browns coach Rob Chudzinski.

The report says that Horton, who interviewed for the Titans head coaching job, was ‘disrespected’ by the Titans, which is part of the reason he’s leaving Tennessee.

Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton will be let out of his contract and hired for the same position with the Browns, The Tennessean learned Sunday, a day after Horton was passed over for Tennessee’s head coaching job in favor of Mike Mularkey.

“They insulted him,” said John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes NFL minority hiring.

“The Browns had put in a request to interview him, and then Tennessee interviewed him (for the head coaching job Saturday),” Wooten said. “And they said that they didn’t know that he had any interest in being a head coach. Well, that’s an insult to the man. That is just an insult.

“And then when he got in the interview, they seemed shocked that he was as prepared and knowledgeable and everything else at that point,” Wooten said. “And they of course already interviewed Mularkey on Friday, and they gave the job to Mularkey.”

Horton has since requested to be released from his contract. Titans president and CEO Steve Underwood told Horton his request would be granted, and Horton will join Hue Jackson’s staff in Cleveland, Wooten said.

Long time Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau joined the Titans staff last season, and the story says that it was tough for Horton to deal with the presence of the Hall of Famer.

No matter know, the Browns defense in 2016 will be Horton’s to run, as he’ll be back with the Browns shortly after Tennessee officially grants him out of his deal.