Cleveland Browns Coaching Search: Getting to Know the Top Contenders
By Joe Mazzulo
As the Browns remain the only team in the league without a head coach, the teams players, fans, and local media’s frustrations grow more and more by the day. There is a local and national perception that the men in charge at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard are aimlessly interviewing anyone and everyone they can convince to sit down and talk about their reportedly “toxic” head coaching vacancy. Jimmy Haslam backed his teams methodical and diligent approach in a recent letter to season ticket holders and remains committed to leaving “no stone unturned” in the selection process. Further proof of such methods show the vast array of different backgrounds these candidates are coming from.
Former head coaches, offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators, quarterback coaches, special teams coaches, the list goes on and on and why should it not? What are the negatives for waiting as long as the Browns have? Critics complain about a shrinking pool of coaching staff/coordinator candidates, but in reality there is not a single candidate that will interview for an NFL head coaching position that doesn’t already have a plan in place regarding a potential staff. Others cry about a coaching staff not being on hand for the all important Senior Bowl practices and it’s impact on the draft process, but NFL teams have personnel/scouting departments for a reason and I can’t imagine the 49ers, Seahawks, Patriots, or Broncos losing sleep over the fact that their coaching staffs will not be able to attend next weeks festivities in Mobile. The Cleveland Browns will be represented heavily regardless of whether or not their head coach and/or coordinators are present and accounted for.
Critics groan over the idea of another “unproven” coordinator, “failed” head coach, or “no name” position coach, but once upon a time Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, and Mike McCarthy were “unproven” coordinators, Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy, and Pete Carroll were “failed” head coaches, while John Harbaugh and Andy Reid were “no name” position coaches. There is no proven method or mapped out route to NFL success, this is something that Cleveland Browns management is aware of, and they are acting accordingly.