"The Browns hired Brad Childress as their offensive coordinator Friday, a move they hope will give coach Pat Shurmur the support he needs to spearhead a turnaround.

Childress, a former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, will be expected to help reverse the fortunes of a dismal offense. With Shurmur juggling the duties of a rookie coach and an offensive coordinator, the Browns ranked 29th in offense (288.8 yards per game), 30th in scoring (13.6 points per game) and finished the 2011 season with a record of 4-12.

Shurmur vowed to hire an offensive coordinator and even suggested he might forfeit his play-calling duties during his season-ending news conference this month. Shurmur will retain those responsibilities for now, but it has yet to be determined whether he will continue to call the plays with Childress aboard, a league source said.

Childress, 55, had been a logical candidate to join Shurmur's staff ever since the Browns launched their search. He has roots in the West Coast offense, connections to the Browns and an agent whose influence on the franchise is well documented. Bob LaMonte represents Childress, Shurmur, President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert, among others."