Report: Mike Pettine to be fired today
By Thomas Moore
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam will reportedly fire head coach Mike Pettine following today’s game.
It’s the last week of the NFL regular season, the Cleveland Browns are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and everyone knows what that means:
Time to fire the head coach!
Today will reportedly be Mike Pettine‘s final one as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, among others, who writes that:
"There should be more moves Sunday, immediately after the regular season ends. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has already made the decision to fire coach Mike Pettine, multiple sources say, and it is likely general manager Ray Farmer will be shown the door, as well. Pettine leaves after just two seasons full of quarterback movement and a woeful defense. Farmer likely will leave despite never hiring his own head coach."
"Haslam has already laid the groundwork for the move, doing work on potential candidates and seeing who will be available to him."
"It ends a tumultuous tenure for Cleveland, filled with dysfunction, in-fighting, failed player acquisitions and wasted draft picks. Members of the front office were barely on speaking terms with the coaching staff, while Haslam informed them he must be consulted on endless football decisions. Pettine asked Haslam face-to-face on Friday if he would return, and the owner said nothing. Pettine and his staff then understood it was over."
If the reports are true, Pettine will be the third head coach fired by owner Jimmy Haslam since he bought the Browns in 2012, which is quite an impressive accomplishment. Pettine would also be the fourth consecutive Browns coach fired after spending two seasons or less on the job.
From Black Monday MMQB:
— Peter King (@peter_king) January 3, 2016
Months Haslam has owned Browns: 39.
Coaches he has employed: 61.
—
That should rise to about 81 soon.
Haslam will reportedly “go hard” after Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase as their next coach. The team made a pitch to Gase before they hired Pettine, but Gase wanted nothing to do with the team.
#Browns will go hard after #Bears OC Adam Gase as soon as they fire Pettine, which could be tonight, sources tell https://t.co/o11vJSOExu
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 3, 2016
In addition to Gase, the Browns are reported to be interested in Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone.
The Browns will also be one of up to nine NFL teams looking for head coaches, so the competition will be fierce, which probably is not a good thing for an owner who has turned the team into a graveyard for coaches.