BY NICK ST. DENIS
The Cleveland Browns announced former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their new head coach late Thursday afternoon.
If they waited any longer, they may have been introducing someone else.
Pettine told WGR 550's Joe Buscaglia that the Browns' dragged-out process in hiring a head coach -- which included two interviews with Pettine after Cleveland had already been without a coach for more than two weeks -- was "starting to wear on me."
"I talked to [head coach] Doug [Marrone] and it was getting to the point where I'd say, 'Hey, if this goes on much longer I need to pull out because it's just not fair to the Bills,'" Pettine said.
We wrote earlier this week about how Marrone and the Bills were at the mercy of the Browns and that the sooner they knew of Pettine's standing with Cleveland, the easier it would be to move forward. Pettine obviously recognized that.
Regardless, Pettine got the head coaching job that he'd been seeking since finding success with the New York Jets under Rex Ryan, and his short stint with the Bills was key in getting him there.
RELATED:
Bills were bridge that got Pettine from Point A to B
Marrone: Contingencies in place if Pettine leaves
Bills at mercy of Browns' sluggish hiring process
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