Former Vol Assistant Hired By Cleveland Browns
By Zach Ragan
Former Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Kurt Roper was hired by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday as a senior offensive assistant, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
The #browns have officially hired Kevin O'Connell as QB coach and Kurt Roper as senior offensive assistant
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) February 17, 2015
Roper, who most recently served as offensive coordinator of the Florida Gators in 2014, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.
The Iowa native spent three seasons as a graduate assistant, before following David Cutcliffe from Tennessee to Ole Miss, where he served as Cutcliffe’s offensive coordinator until 2004.
After a brief stop at Kentucky as a quarterbacks coach, Roper return to Tennessee (as did Cutcliffe) to become the Vols’ running backs coach. Roper stayed for two seasons before again following Cutcliffe, this time to Duke, as his offensive coordinator.
Roper was briefly mentioned last month as a possible candidate for Tennessee’s offensive coordinator position, which was left vacant by Mike Bajakian.
Those rumors, however, quickly faded as the Volunteers quickly moved in on former Michigan offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
It’s unclear what exactly Roper’s duties will entail as a senior offensive assistant, but the Browns certainly hired a quality coach.