May 21, 2013

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport: Four candidates for Cleveland Head Coach

December 31, 2012 by 27 Comments

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Browns have four candidates at this point-

Aaron Kromer is the offensive line coach of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Miami, Ohio guy and was a finalist for the Boston College job. Kromer served as the Saints’ head coach during the first six games of the season because of suspensions to Sean Payton and Joe Vitt.

If you add this piece to other reports, it would seem the other Pro coach would be Josh McDaniels and the college coaches would be Chip Kelly and Bill O’Brien. For whatever that is worth.

[Related: Browns release statement on firing of Shurmur and Heckert]

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  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    I’m going Chip Kelly, Bill O’Brien, Aaron Kromer and someone to fulfill the Rooney rule. I hate to keep bringing that up, but it really bugs me. I don’t hate the rule per se, but the whole way it manifests itself in sham interviews for minority candidates seems detrimental.

  • Ezzie Goldish

    I’m guessing (hoping?) one of the pro coaches is Mike McCoy, actually. I don’t believe they want McDaniels.

    Didn’t Kromer do horribly to start this year? That bothers me.

  • Henry Brown

    Awesome, the guy who went 0-5 with Drew Brees.

  • bossman09

    I really pray we get a good GM. having a bad coach is one thing, but zero talent is devistating. I can’t stand to watch 3-4 more years of hopeless football.

  • WFNY_DP

    Not directing this at you, Craig, necessarily, but since you mentioned him… I don’t get all the Chip Kelly love. He runs a gimmick offense that won’t work in the NFL (since, you know, EVERYBODY is fast in the NFL), and I heard some college football analysts on ESPN radio essentially saying that Kelly wouldn’t be strong in X’s and O’s at the pro level. How is he more qualified than Butch Davis was?

    (In full disclosure, I’m almost NEVER in favor of hiring a college coach to the NFL. Jimmy Johnson and now Jim Harbaugh–in albeit a small sample size thus far–are the biggest success stories amidst a field littered with absolute failures. I don’t count Pete Carroll, because he was an NFL coach before he was a college coach.)

  • cmm13

    We aren’t hiring a “General Manager” in the sense of the title. The person hired will be more of a “Pro Personnel Scout”.

  • Roosevelt

    You beat me by 19 minutes. It’s so obvious that the Browns will naturally ignore it.

  • Vindictive_Pat

    You really think the problem is that Heckert didn’t draft any talent? That’s interesting… I think he brought in tons of talent, but it’s young and undeveloped at this point, and we had a coach who wasn’t good at developing young talent.

  • Roosevelt

    Wasn’t Butch Davis the best coach the Browns have had since they returned? He may have been unpopular at the time (admittedly, it wasn’t my strongest period of fandom) but now that we have ten years of misery to compare him to, he was Cleveland Nirvana. It’s time to stop using him as an example of failure with the Browns, at least until Emperor Banner, Mike Lombardi, and Josh McDaniels have some success.

  • Vindictive_Pat

    That’s like saying a piece of bread is good because it’s less moldy than the other pieces of bread in the bag. Not trying to pick on you, just saying that we really should raise our expectations for coaches.

  • Roosevelt

    Yeah, that’s true, but I was thinking he could have used any of ten other coaches as examples of futility. Now that I reread his comment, I see that DP meant him as an example of a college coach who didn’t succeed in the NFL, so my point is really irrelevant.

  • Vindictive_Pat

    Word. I have to agree with DP in that I’m going to be really skeptical of any college coach we might bring in… there just aren’t a lot of examples of success to hang your hat on when it comes to that. I guess Bill O’Brien is a bit different in that he went from NFL to college and then possibly back to the NFL, but he was never a head coach in the NFL so that gives me pause yet again.

  • crobarred

    Personally I would like to See Zimmer from Cinci or Arians from Indy as possibilities on the pro level. Arians has Cleveland ties and runs a good offense for what the Browns have already. Zimmer has had a pretty good D in Cinci for a few years and his players will “run through a brick wall for him” as they say. Retreads and going for the “hot” college coaches is not what this team or new regime needs. I understand wanting your own guys leading the way but please for the love of all that is holy…do not blow up everything and start all over again.

  • Spencer

    Not so sure the last guy is McDaniels. I read the Browns don’t want any re-tread candidates.

  • The_Matt_Of_Akron

    Prediction: Haslam uses his Travel Channel connections to produce a Survivor-style reality show where coaching and GM candidates get mix-and-matched each week to compete in various challenges. The “winners” get to be the new GM and HC.

  • Pixie508

    I think Arians would be a interesting choice. He basically got a trial run in Indy this year and proved that he can run a team. I want someone who has pro experience – Kelly isn’t the guy. Oregon fails in big games on the regular – we can already do that here… we don’t need anymore help.

  • REEPJP

    I could get on board with either of these guys….they know the division having coached in it for long periods of time.

    Call me crazy, but I could also get on board with Kyle Shannahan…..sign me up for the zone read blocking scheme with our o-line and TRich.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    He brought in more overall talent but he failed miserably at obtaining playmakers. Plus I don’t know where he started and Holmgren ended eventhough one was supposed to be working on the business side and the other football personnel.

  • The_Real_Shamrock

    The only college head coach I wouldn’t completely run screaming when I heard announced would be Nick Saban and even then I’d be skeptical. I keep hoping for an established duo at head coach and general manager but for some reason I think that’s highly unlikely.

  • TheRobot57

    Wow, out of those choices how can you not go with Kelly? O’Brien wouldn’t be bad but screw the rest.

  • Harv 21

    I want an Ohio guy! Cuz it’s real important that he understands me, my hopes, fears and dreams. And so that every week the network commentators can look at their pre-production notes and intone during the sideline camera shot, “He’s from Ohio and you know he understands football here!” Looove that, induces involuntary shivers. Just like every time Cribbs gets ready to return they are required to intone “.. the ever-dangerous Josh Cribbs.”

    Add to that an exuberant player chest-bumper (unless he’s old and wears his belt near his sternum; that’s kinda awkward). Add to that a guy who can glance at the play clock without tilting his head up, a la Tomlin. An indicator of strong multitasking ability. Subtract the playcard mouth-coverers. So 90s when we need cutting edge.

  • Return of the (Alex) Mack

    Jim Tressel you say?

  • Roosevelt

    What are the odds that the Browns take a look at Andy Reid (kidding) and Lovie Smith (not kidding)?

  • saggy

    O’Brien never would leave Penn State at this point. How bad would that make him look?

    no thanks on Chip Kelly. Others above me have explained why that’s a bad idea.

    I’d take a look at EVERYONE else on the list – Andy Reid included.

  • http://www.facebook.com/charlie.rockman Charles Rockman

    I don’t think the interviews for minorities are shams, as you suggest. They get interviews that wouldn’t otherwise get. This gives them important practice

  • dwhit110

    I agree with the comment that says getting interviews is good exposure. In addition, who’s to say which interviews are shams and which aren’t. If memory serves the Steelers interviewed a little known coordinator from Minnesota only to appease the Rooney Rule, and that they were sure to turn the keys over to assistants Russ Grimm or Ken Wisenhunt. Turned out they hired that token coordinator instead, Mike Tomlin.

  • Jaker

    Mike McCoy, Andy Reid, Bill O’Brien, Josh McDaniels, Dirk Koetter should all get interviews. OC should also get a thorough look, maybe a HC who needs less pressure like Norv Turner or someone who might not be ready for a head gig yet, like O’Brien or Kromer. No Chip.

    Also, I’m not against a Gruden, Cowher or Tressel, but Haslam better make sure they are qualified now, not just going off of previous success.