Interesting read on him from early in the season;
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/10/its_early_but_john_defilippo_d.html
BEREA, Ohio – John DeFilippo didn't get married until age 36.
Most football coaches are wed to their work, but few seem as willing to admit it as the new Browns offensive coordinator.
"I'm one of those guys who puts my job first," DeFilippo told NEOMG in the summer. "A lot of people will say that's wrong, but I knew what I wanted to do and I knew how to get there and I had to do it the right way."
Time spent on 10 college campuses and inside six pro organizations has prepared the 37-year-old for the task of coordinating the NFL's Isle of Misfit Toys. To the surprise of many outside the walls of Berea, DeFilippo hasn't coached like a first-time pro playcaller.
The Browns (2-3) head into Sunday's game against the Broncos ranked eighth in total offense and 13thin scoring. Quarterback Josh McCown and his unheralded supporting cast deserve much credit for executing the game plan, particularly over the past three weeks.
But DeFilippo, with the help of coach Mike Pettine, has quietly put the offense in good position thanks to his knowledge, confidence and willingness to adapt to circumstances. Whether it's condensing the playbook for Johnny Manziel or tailoring a plan to an opponent, the coordinator has been as nimble and unflappable as a high-wire walker in the face of lakefront gusts.
"He sees the game, and when a play breaks down, he knows immediately why it happened," Pettine said. "He is very good at troubleshooting and very good at understanding defenses and what they are trying to take away and how to take advantage of it and how we can get our guys in the right position to make plays."
DeFilippo's attack is not without shortcomings. The Browns aren't efficient in the red zone. They don't run the ball with any consistency. Their playmakers, save for Gary Barnidge, lack size and the recent trend of asking McCown to throw 45 to 50 times per game doesn't seem sustainable.
But who in July thought the offense could excel behind the talents of McCown, Barnidge, Travis Benjamin and rookie Duke Johnson? John DeFilippo, that's who.
He was McCown's biggest backer in the organization from their days together in Oakland when so many criticized the free-agent signing. DeFilippo took one look at Benjamin running routes in the spring and said the returner needed to be more involved in the passing game. He's made exceptional use of
Barnidge's soft hands (feet and thighs) and told anyone who would listen Johnson would become a match-up nightmare for opponents out of the backfield.
The Browns rank sixth in passing, averaging 289 yards per game, on the strength of a veteran quarterback who can make use of the entire playbook and a varied offense that employs multiple formations and lots of motion. They have scored on 16 of their last 26 possessions dating to halftime of the Raiders' game.
"Like I said last week, I feel him getting better every week and doing a good job of adapting really to what the game needs as far as where we're at offensively," McCown said. "(He) does a good job of staying calm and working through the call sheet and trusting his preparation. That's been huge for us, obviously."
DeFilippo understood the skepticism surrounding his hiring. The Browns went from veterans Norv Turner and Kyle Shanahan to a coordinator who had only called plays for two seasons at San Jose State.
If not for Ray Farmer's text messages and the front-office meddling, DeFilippo wouldn't have the opportunity. But the NFL is all about taking advantages of chances. So far, so good for the assistant Pettine calls "a hot-blooded Italian," one who likes his red wine and Hoyo De Monterrey cigars.
The Browns haven't scored fewer than 20 points since the opener against the Jets when McCown was lost on the first series to concussion. He staunchly backed Pettine's decision to roll with McCown even after Manziel beat the Titans with a pair of TD passes to Benjamin.
Can the offensive production continue? That's unclear. Lets not forget the Browns also enjoyed a quick start last season before another bridge quarterback, Brian Hoyer, began to play down to his level.
The league's top defense comes to town Sunday and formidable Rams and Cardinals units await the Browns over the next three weeks.
DeFilippo, however, has the short and intermediate passing game humming. The swing passes to the versatile Johnson and Isaiah Crowell supplement a rushing attack averaging just 88.4 yards.
Instead of grinding it out against the Ravens, a strategy that would have played into Baltimore's favor, McCown threw the ball 51 times. The fact the Browns fell behind aided in the decision to stay aggressive through air. By game's end, the Ravens' defense was exhausted and the Browns found some success running the ball.
McCown finished with a franchise-record 457 yards passing.
"I know Josh is going to get heaped with praise, and it is well deserved, but I just think we functioned extremely well as a unit," Pettine said.
That includes the man calling the plays.
DeFilippo has much to learn as he grows into the job. He won't lack for effort, however. He has a strong work ethic and an understanding wife to thank for that