Mike Pettine NFL’s 28th Ranked Coach; Really?
When Mike Pettine was hired by the Cleveland Browns, few if any fans knew who he was. Most saw him as the Browns 10th choice for the position and didn’t have much belief in him. His opening press conference was a breath of fresh air. Pettine came off as a sure of himself, football guy who wasn’t going to take anything lightly.
Training Camp brought back many of the concerns about the rookie head coach, especially related to his handling of the quarterback competition. Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel were locked in a battle that neither seemed destined to win. Both played poorly and many questioned whether Pettine was out of his league in leading the team. He named Hoyer the starter and didn’t look back, at least till later in the season.
Something interesting happened for the Browns in Pettine’s first year: They exceeded expectations. Many, especially after Training Camp, had low hopes for the team. They played early games close, took advantage of a weak schedule and showed that the attitude and culture around the team was changing. Pettine had to deal with the loss of Alex Mack and Armonty Bryant, two starters, a QB controversy later in the season and the team struggling to get Josh Gordon up to speed.
Yet somehow Pettine guided the team to a 7-9 record. He made rookies mistakes, challenges, timeouts, etc, but has in general earned the trust of his players and the fans. His ability to guide the team with his vision helped get them through some tough times. Yet, somehow, CBS Sports rated Pettine the 28th head coach in the league:
"28. Mike Pettine, Cleveland Browns — His first year was a brutal one with all that went on, especially with the Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon situations, and yet he went 7-9. It’s tough to judge him — and I think he can be a really good coach — but based on his first season, this is where he belongs."
Interestingly Pete Prisco, who wrote the column, noted much of the problems that Pettine had to deal with on the field. He gave him credit for leading the team to a 7-9 record yet still rated him below Joe Philibin (who could have been fired), Jack Del Rio and Gary Kubiak (who haven’t been HCs in a few years) and Rex Ryan (who WAS fired after last year). The only coaches that Pett is ranked over is Jay Gruden (poor management of the QB situation in Washington) and Jim Tomsula, Todd Bowles and Dan Quinn (all new head coaches).
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Not a lot of respect for Pett. We don’t think he will mind but it does seem like Prisco’s ratings are less based on the talent of the coach and more based on the talent on the coaches team. Pettine took a team void of dynamic offensive talent, with Gordon suspended and Jordan Cameron hurt most of the year, and led them to a respectable record. He made mistakes along the way but in Mike Pettine we believe.
What do you think of Mike Pettine and where would you rank him?