Hue Jackson takes Cleveland Browns head coaching job

[UPDATE 3:30 p.m. ET: The Cleveland Browns have now made the hiring of Hue Jackson as head coach official.]

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Hue Jackson will become head coach of the Cleveland Browns, per published reports, making the move before the New York Giants ever got a chance to speak with him about their head-coaching vacancy.

Looks like Browns will get done deal with Hue Jackson before he gets on flight to New York for interview with the Giants, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2016

About as official as it gets. Hue Jackson out of the mix with Giants before he even gets in the mix. https://t.co/VbfY8HbECL

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) January 13, 2016

Jackson had been expected to interview with the Giants on Thursday morning. It is possible, of course, that Jackson never really wanted the Giants job and that he simply used the possibility as leverage with the Browns. We will never know.

There are now four remaining candidates who have interviewed with the Giants. Those are offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch had said on Tuesday that he expected the Giants to name a coach by the end of the week. If that is the case it will almost certainly come from that list.