The Cleveland Browns plan to interview San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur for their vacant head coaching position, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.
LaFleur, 32, is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. He has been on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco for the past three seasons.
He helped the 49ers (13-3) earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2019 with an offense that ranked second in the NFL in scoring, fourth in total offense and 13th in passing yards. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo posted career highs in completion percentage (69.1), passing yards (3,978) and touchdowns (27).
Before joining the San Francisco staff, LaFleur was an offensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-16 and a college offensive coordinator at Davidson (2013) and Saint Joseph’s (2011-12).
LaFleur would supplant the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, 33, as the NFL’s youngest head coach if he were hired to replace Freddie Kitchens, who was fired Sunday after one season.
According to Schefter, the Browns could also interview the 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and run game coordinator Mike McDaniel. San Francisco is off this weekend after earning a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.