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Cleveland Browns New Head Coach Search, 2014

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Phills14

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After Chud's removal we have a vacancy at head coach. There is also talk that the assistants, Ray Horton, Norv Turner and the lot of them, will be removed today as well.

Last year we flirted with Jon Gruden, Nick Saban and Bill Cowher only to be turned down. We interviewed Chip Kelly (Taken), Doug Marrone (Taken), Ray Horton, Bill O'Brien, Ken Wisenhunt and Chud. We talked with Josh McDaniels but he was not ready to be a head coach again just yet.

This year, the early candidates suggested by both local and national media are:

Bill O'Brien
: Penn St Head Coach.

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Seems like he's leaving for a NFL head coach position but where? Houston seems like the logical spot. Edit- Interviewed last year and according to Banner's presser, may not be considered this year. Edit- Took the Houston Job.


Josh McDaniels: New England Offensive Coordinator

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By my account did a great job in New England this year with that crap show that was their WRs. Still a very checkered past with some really head scratching decisions especially at the QB spot (Trading Cutler, Drafting Tebow in 1st round). But hey, he's from Canton and went to John Carroll so he's 'one of us' and he 'understands what it means to be a Cleveland sports fan'. He's also a favorite of Mike Lombardi and is probably the leader in the clubhouse. Edit: 1/8/14 McDaniels publicly backs out of consideration. 1/22/14 Reportedly Some last minute attempts to lure him in fail as he will stay the OC for the Broncos.


Ken Whisenhunt: Chargers Offensive Coordinator

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After Kelly and Marrone turned us down he was #2 on the list behind Chud apparently? He did a nice job with the Chargers this year turning a team that I thought was going to have a top 5 pick into the #6 seed in the playoffs. He helped Philip Rivers go from almost dead in Norv Turner's offense into a pro bowler this year. Edit- Interviewed last year and according to Banner's presser, may not be considered this year. No rumors lately of even interest by the Browns. Edit 1/9/14- Now reports are that he is scheduled to interview for the Browns job on Saturday 1/11. Rumor is that he walked out on an interview with the Browns last year but now he is going to interview again? According to Grossi, last year Whiz wanted Mike Miller as his OC and Browns didn't like that idea. Open to it now? He did have an interview this year with the Browns but seems to be Detroit's top choice. We'll see what happens with him once the Chargers are done. 1/13/14 He has taken the Titans HC Job.


Ray Horton: Browns Defensive Coordinator

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He is having an interview today. It could be an exit interview. It could be a real head coach interview or it could be a Rooney Rule interview. Horton wouldn't be the worst choice in my opinion. Edit- Interviewed last year and according to Banner's presser, may not be considered this year. He has been given permission by the Browns to interview for DC jobs elsewhere.


Adam Gase: Broncos Offensive Coordinator

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Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Browns have reached out to him. Broncos are on a bye so he can interview now just like Horton, O'Brien, McDaniels. He's 35 years old and married to former Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt's daughter. He's coached for LSU, Detroit Lions, SF 49ers and was the Bronco's QB coach prior to becoming the OC this season. He has said that he won't interview until after the playoffs are complete. Edit 1/21/14 Gase pulls out of the running 1 day after advancing to the Super Bowl. Browns are moving on.


Jim Schwartz: Former Head Coach of the Detroit Lions

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Former underling of Bill Belichick while in Cleveland. He obviously has ties to Mike Lombardi. He took a talent roster in Detroit and somehow screwed it up. Seems like a good fit for the Browns. Edit- Talk of him being the DC to the new coach. Who knows


Dan Quinn: Defensive Coordinator Seattle Seahawks

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Led an aggressive defense in Seattle after a year as the DC of U of Florida. Ian Rapoport throwing his name into the mix. Interviewed with the Browns Thursday Jan 2nd. Quinn looks to be a serious contender for the job. He is in the Super Bowl and plans are for him to get a 2nd interview before 1/25. 1/23/14 Looked to be a favorite for the job but the trail went silent the last few days before they hired Pettine.


Todd Bowles: Defensive Coordinator Arizona Cardinals

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Bowles is a hot name now but he looks to be a Rooney Rule candidate. He will be interviewed Friday Jan 3rd. Edit- 1/14 he removed his name from the search like McDaniels did.


Gus Malzahn: Head Coach Auburn

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According to LaCanfora, Malzahn is under serious consideration for the gig with McDaniels and James Franklin. After losing the BCS Title game, does it make him more or less likely to look elsewhere? LaCanfora tweeted again 1/6/14 saying the Browns really want to talk to him. Up in the air if he will agree to talk. Latest reports are that he's financially out of reach of any NFL team this year, whatever that means.


James Franklin: Head Coach Vanderbilt

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Franklin is a hot name these days. LaCanfora thinks he might get an interview. Interview is possible. He is interviewing along with everyone else in the world for the Redskins job. Strong rumors that he was offered job at Penn St. Still waiting to hear what he will do, he's delayed the Skins interview and now the Skins went ahead and hired Jay Gruden. Edit- He is now the head coach of Penn State.


Bob Stoops: Head Coach Oklahoma

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Rumors popped up from the St Louis Rams sideline reporter the day of the OU/Alabama game. After the OU win, Stoops was cryptic in his response to the Browns rumor saying "you never know". Multiple credible reports have said Stoops is not a consideration at this time. Probably some mutual interest at the start but not a fit. Doesn't look like he'll even interview.

Ben McAdoo: QB Coach, Green Bay Packers

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Seriously, that's what he looks like. 2nd image on a Google Image search looks like he's doing a head shot for his resume in hopes of getting an assistant bank manager job. In all seriousness, he's been touted as a great young offensive mind. Has worked with Aaron Rodgers for the past 2 years as QB coach and was TE coach for a number of seasons before that. He has been an assistant under McCarthy for a while now. Ian Rapoport is reporting that he will get an interview with the Browns. Edit: He has indeed interviewed for the Browns but also interviewing for OC positions around the league including the Dolphins gig under his old boss Joe Philbin. Odds are that he is an OC somewhere next season probably not Cleveland.

Sean McDermott: DC Carolina Panthers

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Carolina's defense is pretty good this year so naturally the DC should be a head coach! A few reports recently saying the Browns are interested in interviewing him. No reports of him actually interview yet however.

Mike Munchack: Former Head Coach of the Titans

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Long time Titans/Oilers player and coach Munchak is apparently going to interview with the Browns 1/13/14 according to Alex Marvez. He was just let go by the Titans a week or so ago. He's been their head coach for the past 3 seasons getting them a 22-26 record over that time. A hall of fame offensive lineman was the O Line coach after he retired and then stepped in to the HC roles in 2011.


Mike Pettine: DC Buffalo Bills

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Pettine runs an attacking defense that was very good at getting to the QB in Buffalo. He's a Rex Ryan protégé and is highly regarded as a DC. He has gotten exactly zero burn in head coaching rumors this offseason until a late report that he will interview with the Browns 1/16. Edit- Pettine did interview with the Browns and reports are that he has a 2nd interview 1/21 and that he 'wants the job bad'. 1/23/14 Pettine is named Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns


Rich Biasccia: Special Teams Coordinator Dallas Cowboys


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1/16 According to Jay Glazer, Biasccia will interview for the Browns head coaching position soon. A whole lot of "Who's this effin guy" stuff going on with him. I got nothing other than Wikipedia. He had been ST Coordinator for the Bucs from 2002-2010. He was ST Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach for the Chargers then was hired for less than 30 days in January 2013 to be ST Coordinator for Auburn under Malzahn. He left that same month to take the same position with the Cowboys. That's all I got.


Dirk Koetter: OC Atlanta Falcons

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1/21/14 Alex Marvez of Fox Sports is reporting that Koetter will get an interview. I believe he interviewed for the position last year.

John Hufnagel: Head Coach of the Calgary Stampeders

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1/21/14 Apparently he's gonna get a shot to interview for the job. The hits just keep coming. But could also be a baseless rumor from an unknown source.

Greg Schiano: Former Head Coach Tampa Bay Bucs

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1/22/14 They really did fly down to Tampa to interview Schiano after they met with Pettine for the 2nd time. Maybe Pettine indicated he would be a candidate for DC and the Browns wanted to talk with him?


I'll add as new names are added or deleted.
 
To be fair to McDaniels, he landed a king's ransom in return for a QB who has yet to have a very good season.

The Tebow move was absolutely putrid though.
 
Last edited:
Peter King with a nugget:

What if there was a disconnect between the quarterback the front office wanted (I hear Cleveland really likes Johnny Manziel, who is not the Aikmanish pocket passer more to Turner’s liking) and the one the coaches preferred?
 
Peter King with a nugget:

We'll see how this draft plays out but if these buffoons in the FO fired Chud and staff because they didn't want Manziel then Banner and Lombardi are even more clueless than I could have originally imagined.

They're possibly enamored with an undersized, me first, jack wagon instead of listening to Norv Turner who... played QB in college, coached two pro bowl QB's and has been an NFL OC or head coach for 20+ years.

This is our front office ladies and gentleman.
 
I can get behind the firing of Chud if he was a poor coach. I'll commend the front office for realizing early and taking appropriate steps. I will bash the front office for hiring him in the 1st place though.

If they take Manziel I might lose it. Seriously, I've never been so against a draft pick in my entire life.
 
If McDaniels liked Tebow's moxie and unorthodox form...he's gonna love Johnny Football...
 
2014 Browns = Manziel and McDaniels

Awful.
 
I think whom the next coach will be will be very telling of the FO. If we hire someone right away it means we had a plan, a guy lined up and the guy they wanted. If we miss in that guy and hire another 2nd or third option then we f'ed up IMO.
 
Another interesting tidbit from that MMQB article:

2. Be careful about making Josh McDaniels the next coach of the Browns. There is no doubt the Browns will be interested in northeast Ohio native and New England offensive coordinator McDaniels, even after his failed tenure in Denver. But those who know McDaniels tell me he’ll only take a job he’s convinced can be a winner. Right now, the Cleveland job has a moat surrounding it, with alligators swimming in it, so I think Cleveland will be hard-pressed to convince McDaniels it’s a great job for him. Maybe Detroit, if it opens, with a good quarterback who needs to be coached and some very good defensive talent, would be more up McDaniels’ alley. But he’s not the kind of guy itching to be a head coach, I’m told. He’s happy coaching Tom Brady and working under Bill Belichick, I’m told.

That just strikes me as who McDaniels is.

He bailed on NE to try to be a head coach, bottomed out, looked miserable as an OC in St Louis and crawled back to BB to get his career back on track

He knows he's only getting one more chance as a HC.
 
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...eam-to-super-bowl-has-larry-bird-instinct.ece

You guys are crazy. I get being against Manziel, I really do, but because he's undersized? That doesn't matter in the NFL anymore. The style of play is spread out and wide open. You don't need a Flacco sized QB to be successful.

And to say he is 'me first' is asinine. There's a difference between being competitive and being me first. By all accounts, he is loved in the Aggie locker room.

The Old Guard philosophies of the NFL are slowly being cast to the side. Russell Wilson, Chip Kelly, and the open-spread out offenses are what sells and are the new wave in the NFL. I love Bridgewater and would take him before Manziel *disclaimer*
 
LOL.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Nick Saban as the next head coach of the Browns? Trivisonno says that's what he has been told ... and that Johnny Football will be QB.</p>&mdash; Steve Doerschuk (@sdoerschukREP) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdoerschukREP/statuses/417659465257979905">December 30, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23browns&amp;src=hash">#browns</a> will let their new coach hire his staff. If he wants to keep any of the current assistants, fine. If not, they're gone.</p>&mdash; Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/statuses/417661730643116032">December 30, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

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