Browns Hire Mets Executive Paul DePodesta As Chief Strategy Officer

The Cleveland Browns announced the hiring of Mets executive Paul DePodesta as their new Chief Strategy Officer.

DePodesta will be above new executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown and will report just to owner Jimm Haslem and president Alec Scheiner.

The Cleveland Browns named Paul DePodesta the team’s Chief Strategy Officer, Owner Jimmy Haslam announced Tuesday. DePodesta will be responsible for assessing and implementing best practices and strategies that will provide the organization with the comprehensive resources needed to make optimal decisions.

Here are some statement from different members of the organization:

“We are fortunate to bring in Paul, an extremely talented, highly respected sports executive who will add a critical dimension to our front office,” said Haslam. “His approach and ambition to find the best pathways for organizational success transcend one specific sport and his experience as a high level sports executive make him a terrific addition to the Cleveland Browns.

“While we are excited about what Paul will provide our organization, we remain fully focused on the critical task of identifying the right head coach and a top talent evaluator who will provide the football expertise needed to be successful.”

“Paul has invaluable experience in management and leadership with a number of highly successful sports teams,” said Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown. “His ability to create better processes and systems throughout organizations, his use of data as a tool to produce better outcomes, and his relentless focus on looking for innovative ways to create more success will be a strong asset as we look to be as comprehensive as possible in our decision making.

“Additionally, Paul will help members of our player development, high performance and analytics departments maximize their efforts. There are many areas that we have not fully capitalized on that will enhance the growth and performance of our players over time.”

“Cleveland and football have always held a special place in my heart,” said DePodesta. “It was 20 years ago this month, after pursing my first love of football and looking at every possible job in the NFL, that I got the biggest break I could imagine – a job offer from the American League Champion Cleveland Indians. As excited as I was then, I am even more excited now to return to Cleveland and to try to help the Browns.

“My focus is to bring whatever experience and perspective I can to collaborate with the team, with the intent of helping us make more informed and successful decisions. Admittedly, there will be an awful lot for me to learn, but I want nothing more than to help bring consistent, championship caliber football back to Cleveland and Browns fans and I look forward to starting right away.”

DePodesta has 20 years of MLB front office experience working for a number of teams including the Cleveland Indians, Oakland A’s, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and New York Mets.

He was played by Jonah Hill in the movie “Moneyball.”

It’s clear that the Browns are all-in on analytics moving forward, which makes their head-coaching vacancy all the more interesting.