Reports: Browns hiring Bubba Ventrone as ST coordinator

The Cleveland Browns are finalizing a deal to make Bubba Ventrone their new special teams coordinator, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

The Indianapolis Star reported he'd also be the Browns' assistant head coach.

Ventrone, 40, was linked to the Browns almost immediately after the team fired Mike Priefer on Tuesday.

Ventrone has been the special teams coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts the past five seasons.

Ventrone was a special teams standout for the Browns from 2009-12 during an eight-year career that also had stops with the New England Patriots (2007-08) and San Francisco 49ers (2013-14).

Ventrone was an assistant special teams coach with the Patriots from 2015-17 before becoming the coordinator in Indianapolis in 2018.

Priefer was hired by former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens in 2019 and then retained by current head coach Kevin Stefanski.