The Cleveland Browns have expressed interest in interviewing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for their head-coaching position, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Should that come to fruition, the 64-year-old Rice would become the first woman to interview for an NFL head-coaching job.
Rice, who has no coaching experience, chaired the Commission on College Basketball and served on the College Football Playoff selection committee from 2013-16.
“Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a great leader, possesses the highest possible character and also happens to be a Browns fan,” general manager John Dorsey said. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for all she’s accomplished and was honored to meet her for the first time earlier this season. Our coaching search will be thorough and deliberate, but we are still in the process of composing the list of candidates and Secretary Rice has not been discussed.”
Rice is a lifelong Browns fan and has been featured in one of their jerseys in NFL ads.
Dorsey said on Wednesday that interim coach Gregg Williams will have a chance to interview for the full-time job. Williams replaced Hue Jackson, who was fired on Oct. 29.
Dorsey said the team plans to begin its coaching search in earnest after the season.
“Me personally, I would like to see a man of character. I would like to see a man who can lead young men. I would like to see a man who has got high football acumen. Those are the three basic things there that I look for,” Dorsey said.
Cleveland started the season with a 2-5-1 mark under Jackson after it went 0-16 in 2017 and 1-15 in 2016.
With Williams at the helm, the Browns dropped a 37-21 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9 before rebounding with a 28-16 home win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
