The Browns officially announced Ken Dorsey as their next offensive coordinator, who brings 16 years of experience as both an NFL player and coach to Cleveland.
Dorsey joins the Browns after spending the last five seasons with the Bills. He was first hired as the quarterbacks coach in 2019, and then was promoted to the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021. Dorsey received another promotion in 2022 when he became the offensive coordinator and served in the role through 2023.
In his first season with the Bills, Dorsey worked with QB Josh Allen, who tallied the biggest improvement in QB rating in the NFL in 2019. Then during his first season as offensive coordinator, the Bills finished second in the NFL in total offense (397.6 yards per game) and points per game (28.4).
"Ken has worked with and elevated some of the top quarterbacks in this league and will bring a fresh approach to our offense," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He knows what it takes to be successful at that position as he was one of the most successful college quarterbacks of all time and that has helped him become a tremendous coach. He has a history with this team and knows what the Browns mean to this city. We are very excited to bring in Ken as offensive coordinator."
Dorsey ended his collegiate career at Miami (Fla.) in 2002, where he set numerous school records. He registered a 38-2 record as a starter and helped the Hurricanes win the 2001 national championship.
He began his professional career as a pro scout with the Panthers in 2011. He then transitioned to their coaching staff and was hired as their quarterbacks coach, a role he served in from 2013-17. During his time with the Panthers, Dorsey worked with QB Cam Newton for four of his first six seasons, and Newton passed for 17,154 yards and 118 touchdowns.
In 2015, Dorsey and the Panthers reached Super Bowl 50, but ultimately lost to the Broncos. Dorsey helped Newton to being named the 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year following their Super Bowl run.
Dorsey moved out of the NFL for a year, as he was hired to serve as the assistant director of athletics at Florida International University in 2018 and as an offensive assistant at Appalachian State for two months in 2019. Then, he moved to the Bills in 2019 in a similar role as their quarterbacks coach under head coach Sean McDermott.
In 2020, Dorsey helped Allen in finishing second in the MVP voting, and Allen set single season franchise records for passing touchdowns (37), completions (396), 300-yard games (8), passer rating (107.2), completion percentage (69.2), passing yards (4,544) and total touchdowns (46). Allen also became first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns in a season in 2020.
Dorsey's connection to Cleveland dates back to his career as an NFL quarterback. His playing career first began in 2003 when he was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He spent the 2003-05 seasons with the 49ers, before he was traded in 2006 to the Browns. He was a backup quarterback for the 2006 season. In 2007, he was signed to a served in a reserve role. Dorsey was with the Browns through the 2008 season.
Offensively, the Browns dealt with their ups and downs throughout the 2023 season as they managed through a multitude of injuries to key offensive players. They started five quarterbacks over the course of the season, were without their star running back in Nick Chubb since Week 2, as well as three of their tackles.
They finished the season ranked 19th in the league in total pass yards for the season with 4,011 passing yards, and 18th with 24 passing touchdowns. The Browns were last in the league in completion percentage at 56.9 percent. They were also 12th in the league with 2,017 total rushing yards and 14th with 15 rushing touchdowns.
As the Browns turn their focus to 2024, Dorsey's experience in the role of offensive coordinator, as well as working closely with top quarterbacks in the league, can be beneficial for Cleveland as they work to build their offense for the 2024 season.
