Browns fire defensive coordinator Ray Horton, hire Gregg Williams

While many NFL fans were watching Seattle Seahawks’ Paul Richardson’s high-degree-of-difficulty receiving performance against the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns made a major change: via multiple reports, the Browns fired defensive coordinator Ray Horton and hired Gregg Williams.

Sporting News’ Alex Marvez, who first reported the impending change, tweeted that Cleveland also contacted Denver’s Wade Phillips, and Cleveland Plain-Dealer Browns writer Mary Kay Cabot said former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley was also contacted.

Horton was hired last year as part of new head coach Hue Jackson’s staff. The 1-15 Browns didn’t have a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and finished 31st in the league in total defense, including 31st against the run (142.7 yards allowed per game) and 21st against the pass (249.8). They were also 30th in the league in points allowed, with 452 (28.25 per game).

This is the second time Horton has been hired to run the Cleveland defense only to be gone after a season; he was the coordinator on Rob Chudzinski’s staff in 2013, but Chudzinski was fired after one 4-12 season.

Cabot reported that Horton was not expecting to be fired.

The 58-year-old Williams has been coaching at the college and NFL level for nearly 30 years. He has one head-coaching stint on his resume, with the Buffalo Bills from 2001-03; the Bills went 17-31 in that time. Williams has served as defensive coordinator for Tennessee , Washington, Jacksonville, New Orleans and most recently, St. Louis/Los Angeles.

With the Saints, Williams was suspended for a season for his role in bounty scandal, paying players for injuring opponents.

Williams is reportedly expected to bring three or four assistants from the Rams staff with him to Cleveland, meaning several other Browns assistants may be fired too.