The Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio - Cleveland coach Butch Davis fired three of his offensive assistants, including coordinator Bruce Arians, on Monday following the Browns' disappointing season.

Arians, running backs coach Todd McNair and quarterbacks coach Carl Smith were let go by Davis, who hired all three in 2001 when he got the job.

The dismissals are the first moves in what is expected to be a busy offseason for Cleveland, which dropped to 5-11 after going to the playoffs last season.

Following Sunday's 22-14 win in the season finale at Cincinnati, Davis shouldered some blame for the Browns' dismal year, saying he had "let this team down a little bit."

On Monday, he spread some of that blame around, but insisted the firings were not a rash response.

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction," Davis said. "This is a three-year broad spectrum look at the whole thing offensively, the growth and development."

Davis, who has two years left on his contract and may get an extension this winter, has led the Browns to a 21-27 record in his three seasons.

This is the second straight year that he has fired one of his coordinators. After the Browns' loss in the AFC playoffs at Pittsburgh in January, defensive coordinator Foge Fazio was fired and replaced by Dave Campo.

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