You can already hear the panic in Browns fans. They are uneasy about the rumors that Rams’ offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is being reported as the front runner for the team’s vacant head coaching position.
The fans had their hearts set on Jon Gruden, and anything less is a disappointment to them.
No one has any idea on whether or not Shurmur will emerge as a great head coach or not, but it is unfair for him to be dismissed because he doesn’t have a high profile.
Did anyone hear of Mike Tomlin before Pittsburgh hired him? Was John Harbaugh a household name prior to being hired by Baltimore? What about Mike Smith in Atlanta? Not many people knew of him before he was hired in Atlanta. All three have turned out to be pretty good head coaches in the NFL.
Also, being an outstanding coordinator is no guarantee of future success as the headman. The NFL coaching scrap heap is loaded with guys who were the “coordinator du jour” once upon a time, but their success on one side of the ball didn’t translate to wins and losses.
Let’s remember that one of the Browns’ better coaches in the post-Blanton Collier era was an obscure assistant with New England and New Orleans back in the 70’s. That would be Sam Rutigliano, who along with Don Coryell in San Diego, was among the first coaches to feature a high octane passing attack.
It really comes down to whether or not the new man can command respect in the locker room and get the team together for one common goal…winning. It’s not all X’s and O’s. It’s how you handle people.
Look at Tomlin during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension early this season. He refused to make excuses and instead told everyone on the roster that he expected to win, just as if the starting quarterback was there. They started out 3-1, and won another division title.
That’s what the Browns need from their next leader.
There are very few sure things as head coaches. The Gruden disciples forget that he was 4-12 in 2006 before finishing at 9-7 in his last two years in Tampa.
In fact, after winning the Super Bowl in his first year there, he won more than ten games just once afterward, an 11-5 mark in ’05.
We’d all take 9-7 for the Browns based on the last three seasons, but it is not like the Buccaneers were a perennial playoff team with Gruden in charge.
And it would be a great thing for the franchise if Gruden agreed to become the Browns’ next head coach. He’s won a Super Bowl and has made multiple playoff appearances.
It’s just that there is nothing for sure when it comes to picking a head coach.
If you trust Mike Holmgren to run the football operations of the Cleveland Browns, then you have to trust that he will pick the right guy. It’s not picking the hot coordinator and who can put together the most sophisticated offense; it’s about choosing a man who can work with the front office to win here.
When all is said and done, coaching is a people business. It’s about getting players to follow where you are leading. It’s not getting the best name; it’s picking the best man for the job.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 