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Ranking the top 5 Cleveland Browns coaches of all time

By Randy Gurzi

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 16, 1962: (L to R) Head coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns confers with quarterback Frank Ryan #13 on the sidelines during a game on September 16, 1962 against the New York Giants at Municpal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.19620916-0221962 Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 16, 1962: (L to R) Head coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns confers with quarterback Frank Ryan #13 on the sidelines during a game on September 16, 1962 against the New York Giants at Municpal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.19620916-0221962 Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images /
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Cleveland Browns
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 8: Quarterback Brian Sipe #17 of the Cleveland Browns talks to head coach Sam Rutigliano before a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as they sit in the baseball dugout at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on August 8, 1981 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Steelers defeated the Browns 35-31. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

4. Sam Rutigliano: 1978-1984

Sam Rutigliano had the pleasure of coaching one of the most frustrating and exciting bunch of Cleveland Browns players of all-time. In 1980, he was in charge of the “Kardiac Kids,” the team known for pulling out exiting wins in the last minute — wins that also caused their fans to feel as though every game was an emotional roller coaster capable of giving them a heart attack.

That season, the Browns went 11-5 and had the NFL MVP in quarterback Brian Sipe. The league MVP set a team record for yardage and touchdown passes with 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns. It was a great season but ended with even more heartache as they lost to the Raiders on the infamous ‘Red Right 88’ play.

For Rutigliano, the 11-5 record was his second-winning season. In 1978 he was 8-8 and followed that up with a 9-7 mark before the 44-win campaign. Cleveland was just 5-11 the following season before going 4-5 in the strike-shortened 1982 season. They made it to the playoffs that year despite the losing record but were again out after just one game.

For his career, Rutigliano was just 47-50 but his final campaign in which he went 1-7 had a lot to do with him finishing with a losing record. Overall, he had his share of great moments for the Browns and had one play gone differently for him during the ‘Kardiac Kids’ campaign, he might have been a championship coach.

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