Charles Frederick Kitchens Jr., born November 29, 1974, is an American football coach currently serving as the interim head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team.
Furthermore, he also serves as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Kitchens has an extensive coaching background, including stints as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Additionally, he has worked as an assistant coach at several NCAA programs, including Mississippi State, North Texas, LSU, and Glenville State.
Kitchens was dismissed in 2019 after one season as the Browns’ head coach when the team finished with a 6–10 record.
Tar Heels Interim Football Head Coach Freddie Kitchens Played As A Quarterback
Kitchens played quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1993 to 1997.
Over his college career, he amassed 4,668 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.
During his three seasons as a starter, Alabama achieved notable success, winning the 1995 Citrus Bowl and the 1997 Outback Bowl.
At the time of his departure, Kitchens ranked third in school history for career passing attempts, fourth in passing yards, and fifth in completions.
Kitchens earned the nickname “Thick” during his college years, a moniker given to him by offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
Freddie Kitchens Started His Coaching Career As An Assistant Coach
Following his playing career, Kitchens transitioned into coaching.
He started as an assistant for various college teams before joining the Dallas Cowboys as their tight ends coach in 2006 under head coach Bill Parcells.
Following his stint at Dallas Cowboys, Kitchens spent 11 years with the Arizona Cardinals, from 2007 to 2017.
He coached multiple positions, including tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs.
In his second year with the team, the Cardinals reached Super Bowl XLIII.
This marked their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
However, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated them, 27–23.
In 2018, the Cleveland Browns initially hired Kitchens as the running backs coach.
Midway through the season, Kitchens was promoted to offensive coordinator.
This move was done following the firing of head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
The Browns ended the season with a 5–3 record under this new leadership after starting 2–5–1.
Kitchens received significant credit for revitalizing the offense and supporting quarterback Baker Mayfield.
In January 2019, the Cleveland Browns promoted him as the head coach.
He became the franchise’s 17th head coach and ninth since the team’s reactivation in 1999.
However, the 2019 season began poorly, with a 43–13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, extending the Browns’ streak of season-opening winless games to 15.
The Browns ultimately dismissed Kitchens after the season’s conclusion following a 33–23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
This left the team with a disappointing 6–10 record.
In January 2020, Kitchens joined the New York Giants as their tight ends coach.
Moreover, newly appointed head coach Joe Judge strongly supported this move.
Judge was a close friend and a former colleague from Mississippi State.
When offensive coordinator Jason Garrett tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 season, Kitchens stepped in as play-caller for the Giants’ game against his former team, the Browns.
However, the Giants lost the game 20–6.
Nevertheless, in 2021, Kitchens transitioned to a senior offensive assistant role before the Giants named him interim offensive coordinator following Garrett’s dismissal.
Unfortunately, the New York Giants let Kitchens go after the 2021 season when they also fired Judge.
In May 2022, Kitchens joined the South Carolina Gamecocks staff as a senior analyst under head coach Shane Beamer.
Another great weekend in Chapel Hill. Youngest daughter was home from school with friends, saw the bell tower transition to Carolina Blue, and @UNCFieldHockey punched their ticket to the final four. #CarolinaFamily #CarolinaFootball #UNCommon #TarHeels #UNC #GDTBATH pic.twitter.com/SJa4RmDY99
— Freddie Kitchens (@CoachFKitchens) November 18, 2024
Ultimately, in February 2023, Kitchens joined the North Carolina Tar Heels as tight ends coach, succeeding John Lilly.
He was formally introduced at a press conference on March 1, 2023, coinciding with the start of the team’s spring practice.
After the 2024 season, the North Carolina Tar Heels named Kitchens as the interim head coach following Mack Brown’s departure.
Talking about his personal life, Kitchens and his wife, Ginger, have two daughters, Bennet and Camden.
His younger daughter, Camden Kitchens, is currently studying at the University of South California.
Furthermore, she is also an athlete; she is an equestrian.
As a freshman, she rode an exhibition ride in a meet against Oklahoma State.
She also earned a 70 in Fences on Quentin and won her point with an 80 in the spring scrimmage.
Moreover, his older daughter, Bennet, is also an equestrian, riding on the Equestrian team at Baylor.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Kitchens will lead the team in an upcoming bowl game.
- Kitchens was an assistant coach for the New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, and Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.
- In 2013, Kitchens experienced a life-threatening health issue, undergoing emergency surgery to repair an aortic dissection.
