Cleveland Browns' Callie Brownson to be first 'interim female positional coach' in NFL history

Callie Brownson will handle the game-day responsibilities of Cleveland tight ends coach Drew Petzing on Sunday when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Browns announced the adjustment to their coaching staff Saturday, because Petzing's wife, Louisa, gave birth to the couple's first child early in the morning. Petzing will not be with the Browns in Jacksonville.

Brownson will become the first female interim position coach in NFL history, Sam Rapoport, the league's senior director of diversity and inclusion, wrote on Twitter.

Brownson has earned praise from coach Kevin Stefanski for her work this season as his chief of staff.

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Stefanski singled out Brownson on Wednesday because she has been crucial to the audibles the franchise has been forced to call due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans were repeatedly altered this past week as a result of defensive end Joe Jackson, linebacker Sione Takitaki and defensive end Porter Gustin testing positive for the virus on three consecutive days.

“That's our job to adjust as coaches and to see who's available to us and put a game plan together to go win," Stefanski said. "I would go back to I have some really, really good coaches working with me. On a day like this when you're trying to get the schedule and you're trying to add extra meetings, Callie is putting everything together for us. She is the star of the day and able to put that together. That's where I'm lucky to have really good coaches around me.” 

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.