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Alright with Chip Kelly officially returning back to Oregon and the Kelly Safari running it's course, I figured it'd be good to start a new thread to discuss further Browns coaching news..
So, with that said here's where the Browns officially stand on their current candidates who they've interviewed:
MIKE ZIMMER
ROB CHUDZINSKI
TROY CALHOUN
MARC TRESTMAN
RAY HORTON
KEN WHISENHUNT
With the Browns now opening up their search and with the fired coaches now known, I thought I'd update my top-10 list as well:
1. Lovie Smith (N/A) - no doubt my top choice for the new coach with the search now opened up... I really don't understand why he hasn't gotten more buzz or why he got fired from Chicago in the first place, as I really do think he is a good coach... Now I realize offense was a problem in Chicago, but him getting another job would be dependent on getting a viable OC to come with him... Other than that, I really don't see a downside to him...
2. Mike Sherman (MIA) - I really like Sherman as a candidate and he's another guy who should be getting some buzz... He may be a bit older but I still think he has one last good run in him as a head coach... I like that he's been very successful at Green Bay and then went back to college recently and was successful there... This league is about offense and developing QBs and Sherman has the ability to do that...
3. Jack Del Rio (DEN) - he's more of a guy who was stuck in a rut in Jacksonville and with a new owner coming in, it wasn't going to favor him staying there.. I like Del Rio and thought he always kept those Jacksonville teams competitive despite not being overly talented on either side of the ball or having a top-notch QB... Again, like the top two candidates, he should be getting a lot more play in HC searches but isn't for some reason... Denver going deep in the playoffs could be a deterrent to some teams but getting the right HC in place is important...
4. Ken Whisenhunt (N/A) - I think Whisenhunt is a solid coach and would be an okay hire but nothing stands out about him... He did do well with average talent (bad talent on the OL) and took that team to a Super Bowl but there are some warts with Whisenhunt that bother me... His offense was never too good, he never developed any QBs (yes I realize they had terrible ones but still), once players were in his doghouse they were history and he was a bit stubborn in his time in Zona... Again, he'd be a solid hire but there's some concerns with him...
5. Jay Gruden (CIN) - of all the guys without head coaching experience at the NFL level, I like Gruden the best... His background is really encouraging, his bloodlines is encouraging and, like I mentioned before, he is an offensive guy who can develop QBs... I also like that he seems to be able to be a leader...
6. Hue Jackson (CIN) - again, Jackson is a solid coach but has his warts too... I do think he would be a solid hire but there's some worries with him leading a team..
7. Mike McCoy (DEN)- I had McCoy a lot higher on my list earlier but after reading more about his potential leadership skills, I'm a bit worried... I haven't heard a lot of negatives on him but I also haven't heard a lot of positive comments about people seeing him as a leadership type... He's the type of guy who would need to interview well.. Again, with Denver in the playoffs it could hinder interviews with him...
8. Ray Horton (ARZ) - I know I have Horton this low but I really would be low-key excited if he was the choice... I really see him as being a guy who the players will respond to and like... He wouldn't be a big PR hit but bringing in a former Steeler/Bengal would be kinda cool to resurrect those rivalries... He reportedly interviewed real well with the Browns and in his other interviews so he's a guy to keep an eye on... If Whisenhunt could bring him with him, I'd really like that..
9. Gus Bradley (SEA) - he's a rising coordinator with the job he's done with the Seahawks defense... My worry with him is that he's been in the NFL for only a handful of years... But Monte Kiffin called him a once in a lifetime type coach, so there's that...
10. Darrell Bevell (SEA) - he's a guy who I still think is a year or two away from being ready but he's been starting to get looks, especially with Russell Wilson's play... He's a good offensive mind who comes off as having the leadership abilities...
Notes on other guys:
- Arians and Zimmer are guys high on some other people's lists but I just don't see it with them... I think there's a reason they've been assistants for as long as they have and never have really had HC buzz..
- David Shaw is not leaving Stanford... That's his dream job.. He also just received a lucrative extension... If he would somehow be able to be convinced to though, he would be in my top-5... No other college coaches will make the jump..
- No thank you to Roman, Shanahan, Dennison, or McDaniels... I don't think any of them have what it takes to be a good head coach...
- I don't see any position coaches or special team coaches worthy of consideration... On top of that, that is not what this team needs right now...
- I still need to do more research about Marc Trestman..
- There were some unconfirmed reports the Browns interviewed Air Force HC Troy Calhoun and one other candidate...
- I still think we're going to see Haslam and Banner take one last run at their dream trio (Saban, Cowher and Gruden) before they move on...
- So with Jackson, Del Rio and Sherman not likely getting any looks and the Browns not likely getting their dream trio, my top-5 realistically looks like Smith, Whisenhunt, Gruden, McCoy and Horton...
So, with that said here's where the Browns officially stand on their current candidates who they've interviewed:
MIKE ZIMMER
ROB CHUDZINSKI
TROY CALHOUN
MARC TRESTMAN
RAY HORTON
KEN WHISENHUNT
With the Browns now opening up their search and with the fired coaches now known, I thought I'd update my top-10 list as well:
1. Lovie Smith (N/A) - no doubt my top choice for the new coach with the search now opened up... I really don't understand why he hasn't gotten more buzz or why he got fired from Chicago in the first place, as I really do think he is a good coach... Now I realize offense was a problem in Chicago, but him getting another job would be dependent on getting a viable OC to come with him... Other than that, I really don't see a downside to him...
2. Mike Sherman (MIA) - I really like Sherman as a candidate and he's another guy who should be getting some buzz... He may be a bit older but I still think he has one last good run in him as a head coach... I like that he's been very successful at Green Bay and then went back to college recently and was successful there... This league is about offense and developing QBs and Sherman has the ability to do that...
3. Jack Del Rio (DEN) - he's more of a guy who was stuck in a rut in Jacksonville and with a new owner coming in, it wasn't going to favor him staying there.. I like Del Rio and thought he always kept those Jacksonville teams competitive despite not being overly talented on either side of the ball or having a top-notch QB... Again, like the top two candidates, he should be getting a lot more play in HC searches but isn't for some reason... Denver going deep in the playoffs could be a deterrent to some teams but getting the right HC in place is important...
4. Ken Whisenhunt (N/A) - I think Whisenhunt is a solid coach and would be an okay hire but nothing stands out about him... He did do well with average talent (bad talent on the OL) and took that team to a Super Bowl but there are some warts with Whisenhunt that bother me... His offense was never too good, he never developed any QBs (yes I realize they had terrible ones but still), once players were in his doghouse they were history and he was a bit stubborn in his time in Zona... Again, he'd be a solid hire but there's some concerns with him...
5. Jay Gruden (CIN) - of all the guys without head coaching experience at the NFL level, I like Gruden the best... His background is really encouraging, his bloodlines is encouraging and, like I mentioned before, he is an offensive guy who can develop QBs... I also like that he seems to be able to be a leader...
6. Hue Jackson (CIN) - again, Jackson is a solid coach but has his warts too... I do think he would be a solid hire but there's some worries with him leading a team..
7. Mike McCoy (DEN)- I had McCoy a lot higher on my list earlier but after reading more about his potential leadership skills, I'm a bit worried... I haven't heard a lot of negatives on him but I also haven't heard a lot of positive comments about people seeing him as a leadership type... He's the type of guy who would need to interview well.. Again, with Denver in the playoffs it could hinder interviews with him...
8. Ray Horton (ARZ) - I know I have Horton this low but I really would be low-key excited if he was the choice... I really see him as being a guy who the players will respond to and like... He wouldn't be a big PR hit but bringing in a former Steeler/Bengal would be kinda cool to resurrect those rivalries... He reportedly interviewed real well with the Browns and in his other interviews so he's a guy to keep an eye on... If Whisenhunt could bring him with him, I'd really like that..
9. Gus Bradley (SEA) - he's a rising coordinator with the job he's done with the Seahawks defense... My worry with him is that he's been in the NFL for only a handful of years... But Monte Kiffin called him a once in a lifetime type coach, so there's that...
10. Darrell Bevell (SEA) - he's a guy who I still think is a year or two away from being ready but he's been starting to get looks, especially with Russell Wilson's play... He's a good offensive mind who comes off as having the leadership abilities...
Notes on other guys:
- Arians and Zimmer are guys high on some other people's lists but I just don't see it with them... I think there's a reason they've been assistants for as long as they have and never have really had HC buzz..
- David Shaw is not leaving Stanford... That's his dream job.. He also just received a lucrative extension... If he would somehow be able to be convinced to though, he would be in my top-5... No other college coaches will make the jump..
- No thank you to Roman, Shanahan, Dennison, or McDaniels... I don't think any of them have what it takes to be a good head coach...
- I don't see any position coaches or special team coaches worthy of consideration... On top of that, that is not what this team needs right now...
- I still need to do more research about Marc Trestman..
- There were some unconfirmed reports the Browns interviewed Air Force HC Troy Calhoun and one other candidate...
- I still think we're going to see Haslam and Banner take one last run at their dream trio (Saban, Cowher and Gruden) before they move on...
- So with Jackson, Del Rio and Sherman not likely getting any looks and the Browns not likely getting their dream trio, my top-5 realistically looks like Smith, Whisenhunt, Gruden, McCoy and Horton...
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