NFL -- Kentucky Qb Tim Couch Hopes To Become Brown

CLEVELAND - Decisions, decisions. Tim Couch has made up his mind, and now the Browns have to make up theirs.

Should Cleveland, which owns the first pick in April's NFL draft, pick Couch, the can't-miss Kentucky quarterback? Or should it make Texas' Ricky Williams its next great running back?

Will they trade down with the pick? Can they? What will the expansion draft bear? Are there any good free-agent QBs out there?

Couch's announcement yesterday that he would bypass his final college season for the NFL gives the Browns a wonderful problem with many potential solutions. Unfortunately, the league will not permit the team to publicly discuss any of them until next week.

"I've got no guarantees, but I have a chance to play for one of the great organizations in all of sports," Couch said. "They have some great owners and they're committed to winning games. Hopefully I'll be fortunate enough to end up in Cleveland."

Before making his announcement in Lexington, Couch flew to Cleveland Wednesday night and had dinner with former 49er great Joe Montana, his boyhood hero. Montana worked with Browns president Carmen Policy in San Francisco.

"He told me if I was fortunate enough to end up in Cleveland, Carmen Policy's a 49er guy, he's going to run things the right way," Couch said. "Dwight Clark is there too, he's a 49er guy, they're going to build a great organization and I just hope that I'm fortunate enough to be with them."

Notes

-- Mike Riley got Oregon State headed back toward respectability, and now he's been hired to try to do it for the San Diego Chargers. Riley signed a five-year contract yesterday after a two-day interview with the Chargers that included meeting with the assistant coaches, many of whom will remain at General Manager Bobby Beathard's insistence. Among them are those who coached the NFL's top-ranked defense.

-- Kevin Gilbride, one of the finalists when Pittsburgh chose Bill Cowher as coach seven years ago, finally was hired yesterday by the Steelers as their offensive coordinator. Gilbride, fired as San Diego's coach in October after going 6-16 and clashing with Beathard, was picked by Cowher to replace Ray Sherman only hours after arriving for an interview.

-- Andy Reid, the Green Bay Packers' quarterbacks coach, is in the running to become a head coach in the NFL. He interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles and is considered a candidate for that job along with Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and former Carolina coach Dom Capers.

-- Buffalo quarterback Doug Flutie was named AP Comeback Player of the Year. Two other quarterbacks, Randall Cunningham of Minnesota and Vinny Testaverde of the New York Jets, were next in the voting.

-- The Tennessee Oilers fired defensive backs coach Greg Brown and defensive line coach Rex Norris and said they would not re-sign special teams coach Russ Purnell. Head Coach Jeff Fisher gave no indication who might replace them.

-- For the third day in a row, Atlanta Coach Dan Reeves experienced no problems while conducting practice as he makes his return from his Dec. 14 heart bypass surgery. He plans to be on the sideline for tomorrow's game against San Francisco.

-- Denver Coach Mike Shanahan said he is not very optimistic about kick returner Vaughn Hebron, who pulled a hamstring in practice Wednesday, playing tomorrow against Miami. "It doesn't look good," Shanahan said. "It will be a game-time decision. But right now I'd say he's doubtful." Derek Loville will handle returns in his place. Veteran Tyrone Braxton will start at safety throughout the playoffs. Shanahan said rookie Eric Brown has missed too much time because of a hamstring injury to return to his previous level of play. The Broncos were unable to sack Dan Marino in the first meeting three weeks ago.