Browns hire Hue Jackson, Dirk Koetter an option with 49ers

The Cleveland Browns have hired Hue Jackson to be their head coach, beating out the San Francisco 49ers who were reportedly very interested in Jackson as well. That's a little surprising, but it is what it is. The Bucs were never in the running for Jackson, for whatever reason.

What is, is also bad news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Dirk Koetter suddenly becomes one of the premier candidates for the 49ers' head coaching job. They interviewed Koetter last week and he reportedly impressed them, but they do still have some other options. The Bucs interviewed Koetter yesterday and most reports suggest he's their top option as well -- although the fact that he hasn't been hired yet may suggest otherwise.

The 49ers have also been linked to Chip Kelly, Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan, per Michael Silver, so it's not a certainty that they want Koetter. If they do, and he chooses them over the Bucs, Jason Licht is going to have to settle for a new coach while also blowing up the offense as well as the defense, at least in terms of coaching staff.