MOBILE, Alabama -- Hue Jackson, now a self-described 'CEO head coach,' has no qualms about making Todd Haley COO of his offense and giving him complete control.
"There's always bits and pieces that you keep, but this is going to be Todd's opportunity to put his stamp on this offensive football team,'' Jackson told cleveland.com and a small group of Browns writers at the Senior Bowl Wednesday. "This is going to be the Cleveland Browns offense when it's all said and done, but Todd Haley is leading the charge. People get worried about 'Whose playbook is it?' It's not about that. It's about what it takes to win for the Cleveland Browns and that's what Todd will do.''
Jackson is excited about taking off his coordinator hat and overseeing the whole operation. In his first two seasons, playing primarily with rookie quarterbacks who weren't ready, Jackson went 1-31 - the worst start for a coach in NFL history.
"This is something I've always dreamed of transitioning into,'' he said. "For the first two years I didn't think there was somebody out there that could do it better than myself. I've said that from Day 1, I just don't think that's fair.''
"We're in a different phase of this process here in Cleveland and we're well set up to move forward on offense where I can feel comfortable saying, 'Hue, you need to be more of the CEO head coach. Let your role really on game day be about the football team, not just the team on offense.'''
Jackson interviewed fired Giants coach Ben McAdoo and Texans QB coach Sean Ryan, but Haley was his first choice as soon as the Steelers opted not to renew his contract after their division-round loss to the Jaguars.
"Todd is going to call the game,'' said Jackson. "Obviously as the head coach, I can make recommendations to (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams), him and (special teams coordinator) Amos (Jones) and that will become my role. I feel very comfortable that the men that I've put in place that they are really good at what they do. ... I'm going to give them every avenue to be the best they can be at their job."
Haley, who was head coach of the Chiefs from 2008 until he was fired 14 games into the 2011 season, presided over an explosive offense in Pittsburgh that was second in scoring only to the Patriots over the last four years. In 2017, the Steelers were eighth in points per game.
"We want to score points,'' Jackson said. "We're trying to score points as fast as we can. He believes in the vertical passing game. He believes in the ability to run the football that you have to be able to do that. He likes to be creative and dynamic on offense so what he does is everything I've wanted our offense to be.
"I do know this: we will craft an offense, Todd will craft an offense that allows our playmakers to be the best that they can be and right now we're still in the process of trying to add more and put more on our football team."
Jackson said he talked to Haley about Ben Roethlisberger and their sometimes rocky relationship.
"We addressed everything,'' Jackson said. "Let me say this: those things happen from time to time between players and coaches. It happened between me and players last year. That's just the NFL. We're men, and sometimes things aren't going to be the way we want them to be and those things will happen from time to time."
As for Haley's confrontational style, Jackson has no issues with it. Even Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner said this week that Haley got in his face, but that he'd play for him again in a heartbeat.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with coordinators challenging players to be the best they can be," said Jackson. "In the role I sit now, it's different as a head coach. I couldn't do those things that way. I want him to do those things and I expect that he will do those things."
He said Haley, like all coordinators, will have to be both good cop and bad cop.
"You have to be able to wear both of those hats,'' Jackson said. "If the results are going to be what he's done in the past, I'm all for anything.''
He acknowledged he's got a staff with strong personalities in Haley and Gregg Williams, but is confident he can manage them.
"Absolutely,'' he said. "Me and Gregg coexisted. ... What we have is two very strong personalities - one on defense and one on offense and the head coach. I'm no different.
"I think these are two men that are two of the best at what they do, and we are going to put them in position to lead and have success. That is what this is all about."
But if you think Jackson won't be hands on with the new rookie quarterback that will likely be picked No. 1, guess again.
"I probably will,'' he said. "That part of me isn't going to change. I'm just not the primary play-caller and not the driver of the offensive football team. My expertise is on the offensive side, but again, I just hired one of the best of the best in the league.
"I'm excited about it. I'll have more energy on the sidelines. Those fans that want to see me act a little bit crazier will probably see that a little more just because I'll be a little bit more animated because I'm not worried about making the next play call.''
He acknowledged, "I'm more concerned about our team and how we're performing -- not that I wasn't a year ago -- but that was a lot of hats that you have to manage as you go through this process.''