Cleveland Browns, Condi Rice deny head coach rumor

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The NFL's Cleveland Browns have denied reports that the struggling franchise is interested in talking to the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to see if she could become their new head coach.

General manager John Dorsey called Rice "a great leader (who) possesses the highest possible character and also happens to be a Browns fan" in a statement.

But he added, "Our coaching search will be thorough and deliberate, but we are still in the process of composing the list of candidates and Secretary Rice has not been discussed."

The Cleveland Browns released a statement to deny rumors that Condoleezza Rice may become the team's new head coach. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, Rice herself on Facebook responded to the rumor, too. "I'm not ready to coach but I would like to call a play or two next season if the Browns need ideas! And at no time will I call for a 'prevent defense'."

This all started when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that last week Dorsey said he was open to hiring a woman as Cleveland's new head coach and put the name of the former Secretary of State on his list.

Rice, 64, is a fan of the Browns. She was said to have fallen in love with the team when she was watching their games with her dad at her childhood home in Alabama. She was even wearing a Browns jersey in an NFL advertisement.

Rice, who has been involved with sports for a long time, holds the Ryder Cup Trophy on the field during a timeout of the third quarter of an NCAA football game between the USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal. /VCG Photo

Rice is no stranger to sports either. Between 2005 and 2009 when George W. Bush was running the White House, she had a lot of involvement in sports affairs and she worked as a member of the inaugural College Football Playoff selection committee between 2013 and 2016.

The Browns currently rank No.12 in the American Football Conference (AFC) with three wins, six losses and one tie. They will play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.