Cleveland's big name coaching search ended in a familiar place, according to sources Thursday night.

The Browns will formally announce the hiring of former Browns offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, and current Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski as their new head coach.

Chudzinski returns to the organization after a two-season stint in Carolina, working with the diversely talented Cam Newton and the wide open Panthers offense. Before that, he was the tight ends coach of San Diego as well as the Miami Hurricanes, his alma mater.

seventh coach since the league gave Cleveland an expansion franchise in 1999. The Baltimore Ravens assumed its own identity when the Browns were moved to Baltimore for the 1996 season, but the legacy Browns records stayed with the new franchise, even as it strays further away from the positive aspects of that legacy.

The "new" Browns haven't won a playoff game in its existence, and the namesake hasn't had a postseason victory since 1994. The Steelers defeated them in the divisional playoffs that season, as well as in the wild card round of the 2002 playoffs - the new Browns' only playoff appearance.

It's Cleveland's fourth head coach since the last time another AFC North team changed head coaches - Baltimore in 2008.