Urban Meyer would be a good fit as Cleveland Browns head coach

The Cleveland Browns would reportedly be interested in Urban Meyer if they make a change at head coach, and Meyer would fit well in the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns have not yet made a decision whether they will retain head coach Freddie Kitchens at the end of the regular season. However, if they decide to move on from Kitchens, the Browns may look at the college ranks and pursue former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

According to a report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Meyer would be a possible replacement for Kitchens as the Browns head coach. Despite not coaching in 2019 and saying he is done with coaching, Meyer is giving hints that he wants to coach in the NFL.

La Canfora reported that the Cleveland Browns owners have a strong relationship with Meyer. In the past, Meyer would give the Haslam’s more detailed information about Ohio State draft prospects than most other NFL teams would receive from the program.

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"“Jimmy Haslam is as close to Urban Meyer as he is with the Mannings,” said one source with direct knowledge of the situation, noting Haslam’s ties to Peyton Manning and his family as a huge University of Tennessee booster. And several of Haslam’s job searches in the past have included conversations with, and interviews of, college coaches, with that a model that he has considered. – La Canfora, CBS Sports"

Despite only having coached in the college ranks and not coaching in 2019, Meyer would be a good fit for the Browns and as an NFL head coach. The biggest reason for Meyer’s success is because he knows how to build a program from top-to-bottom. He can get the best out of his talent, and it translates to success on the field.

During Meyer’s seven years as Ohio State’s head coach, the Buckeyes regularly churned out NFL talent. He knew how to develop his players, which helped setup the players to become top picks in the NFL draft and then have success in the pros. Former players who have seen Meyer’s program first-hand believe Meyer would have success in the NFL.

At a time when NFL schemes are replicating college schemes more than ever before, it would be the right time for Meyer to coach in the NFL. He would build a strong coaching staff that would allow him to be a CEO head coach and let him focus on the overall success of the team instead of trying to be the offensive play-caller while trying to manage the team at the same time.

In the CEO role, Meyer would be able to focus on building the culture of the team and instilling the discipline the Browns need. He could also focus on the development of the players and coaching up the talent, something that has been missing from the Browns in 2019. Meyer also does great work with his quarterbacks and would not be afraid to challenge Baker Mayfield, which is the type of attitude Mayfield prefers from his coaches.

During his time as Ohio State’s head coach, Meyer was known to be all-in on the program 24/7. He lived and breathed football so his teams would have as much success as possible, and his 83-9 record at Ohio State is evidence of that. Although the adjustment to the NFL can be difficult, Meyer has the dedication and commitment necessary to make the rapid adjustment.

There is obvious concern with Meyer as the head coach because of his health. Meyer’s health has been the cause of his departures from the University of Florida and Ohio State. Meyer decided to end his run as the Ohio State head coach because of a brain cyst that can worsen because of the stress of being a head coach.

Meyer has also been mired in controversy during his career. The most recent controversy surrounding Meyer is that he potentially hid his knowledge of a domestic violence involving a coach on his staff. Meyer was suspended three games for the situation in 2018.

If the Browns were to hire Meyer as head coach, there would also be questions of if he would work well with general manager John Dorsey. Meyer is use to targeting the players he wants through recruiting with some collaboration from the personnel program. Instead, it would be a much more intense collaborative process in the NFL, with Dorsey ultimately making the final decision on the roster. Being used to targeting the players he wants, Meyer and Dorsey may have different theories on how to build rosters and could create some distrust between the two.

With that being said, Meyer would understand the situation he is walking into if he is pursued for the Browns job. If he believes he can work with Dorsey and vice versa, that should not be a deterrent for the Browns.

The Browns may decide to keep Kitchens after the season and then this becomes a moot point. However, if the Haslam’s and the Browns pursue Meyer to become the next head coach, how he’ run his programs and his style of coaching would make him a good fit in Cleveland.