Gruden And Zimmer Not Candidates For Vacant Browns Head Coaching Job

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer have been linked in some capacity (not much really) to the vacant head coaching position in Cleveland, opened when the Browns fired Pat Shurmur on Black Monday.

There's nothing there.

According to Tony Grossi with ESPNCleveland.com, of all the candidates linked to the Cleveland Browns jobs Zimmer and Gruden are not candidates.

Though that may change.

Grossi lists Cleveland's linked candidates in three tiers. In the first he lists Nick Saban, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Chip Kelly. Otherwise known as the dream list because there's not enough currency in the Universe to pull them from their comfortable gigs to a team that's looking for their seventh coach since 1999.

Grossi's next wave is Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien, finalizing the list with "no chance" candidates such as Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone and Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.