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| The Browns original Head Coach, Paul Brown diagraming, arguably what looks like, an unstoppable passing play back in the glory days. |
As the current brass of the Cleveland Browns search for the team's 6th full-time Head Coach since their return to the league, an already failed attempt at snagging Oregon's Head Coach Chip Kelly this past week, has the front office back to square one. Translation: Chip Kelly was the only guy on their list.
I wanted, as many other Browns fans have probably done in the past and/or currently doing, I put together a "dream" coaching staff, that could get the current roster to buy in and start winning more then 4 or 5 games a season. Here goes nothing...
(Mind you, this is a "dream" an outrageous pipe dream of mine, that would absolutely have NO CHANCE of happening, but a boys gotta dream, right?)
Boomer's Coaching Staff for the Cleveland Browns:
Head Coach: Bill Cowher
- An unanimous pick for this position, for Browns fans all-around ever since he retired from the sidelines, to become a studio analyst for The NFL Today on CBS. Twice, he guided the hated Pittsburgh Steelers to two Super Bowl appearance ('95 & '05), winning Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. He had a 149-90-1 record in his 15 years at the helm. He started his coaching career with the Browns, where he worked as the Special Teams & Secondary Coach from 1985-1988.
Assistant Head Coach/OC: Jon Gruden
- Another ex-Head Coach turned MNF broadcaster, A Ohio-native, I'd love to see Gruden run the Browns offense, which at times over the past 14 seasons has been "unwatchable". The 11-year Head Coach with the Oakland Raiders & Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recorded a 95-81 record, winning Super Bowl XXXVII, his first season with the Bucs. He got his NFL coaching career started in 1990 as a offensive assistant with the SF 49ers.
Defensive Coordinator: Tony Dungy
- The Godfather of the cover 2 defense, better known as the, Tampa 2 defense, from his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dungy, a defensive guru would turn the Browns into one of the top defense's in the NFL. The Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts, when they won Super Bowl XLI, he compiled a record of 139-69 with both the Colts & Bucs in thirteen years as a Head Coach. Currently, he is a analyst on NBC's Football Night in American, got his coaching career started in 1981 with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their defensive backs coach, following his playing days in the NFL. He would just be an outstanding guy to have on this coaching staff.
- Known for his "Beamerball" in the college ranks, Beamer would be my pick for Special Teams coach. Scoring from this unit could be the difference in winning or losing a game, and his team's have done plenty of that over the years from this unit. The 32-year Head Coach first at Murray State & then VA Tech, has a record of 258-127-4, started his coaching career at Maryland as a GA.
Quarterbacks Coach: Jim Harbaugh
- I love the guys personality/attitude, a little crazy (yeah!) but he makes it works, and obviously his player's buy into it. Currently, the SF 49ers Head Coach, the past two seasons, he was collected a 25 wins in that span, including back-to-back NFC West divisional championships. He would work well in Gurden's offensive system with the QB's and I'm sure those two guys could be caught "head-butting" one another on the sidelines. Another Ohio-native, Harbaugh, previously spent time as a Head Coach in the college ranks with Stanford, and San Diego State going 58-27 in seven seasons at the two universities. He got his coaching career started at Western Kentucky ('94-'01), working as an assistant coach after a 14-year career in the NFL playing quarterback for the Bears, Colts, Ravens, and Chargers.
Running Backs Coach: Mike Shanahan
- You want a 1,000-yard rusher each and every year? Well, Shanahan is the guy to make that happen. Known to produce one 1,000-year rusher every year as a Head Coach, Shanahan is currently the Head Coach of the Washington Redskins. In his 19-year Head Coaching career, he has a record of 167-125, including two Super Bowl rings following the 1997 & 1998 seasons with John Elway & the Denver Broncos. He's also won a Super Bowl ring, following the 1994 season with the SF 49ers, when he guided the offense as the offensive coordinator. Mike Shanahan kick started his coaching career at the University of Oklahoma in 1975, as an offensive assistant.
- Coughlin, the present Head Coach of the NY Giants, previously spent time as a wide receivers coach, as can be expected by the talented wideout's he has produced over his Head Coaching tenure. Before the NY Giants, Coughlin was the original Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and also spent time in the college ranks as a Head Coach at RIT & BC. In his NFL Head Coach career, he has compiled a record of 151-121, including two Super Bowl rings with the NY Giants (Super Bowl XLII & XLVI). Coughlin, got into the NFL back in 1984 as the Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers coach.
Offensive Line Coach: Kirk Ferentz
- The current Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach, who has spent time in the NFL coaching offensive lineman, would be my pick at this position on the "dream" coaching staff of the Cleveland Browns. Ferentz career record as a Head Coach is 112-95, over a span of 17 years both at Maine & Iowa. He has previously served as the Cleveland Browns OL coach from 1993-1995, and started coaching back in 1977 at Connecticut as a GA.
D-Line/LB Coach: Lovie Smith
- Past experience coaching this position, I've always liked Lovie, and he finds himself on this "dream" staff, while in reality he searches for a coaching position after being let go by the Chicago Bears, following nine years at the helm. His HC record with the Bears 81-63, included two trips to the NFC Championship Game (1-1), losing to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI, following the 2006 season. Smith would work well in Dungy's system, as the two have coached together already from 1996-2000 with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Before his days in the NFL, Lovie spent time in the college ranks coaching, as well as beginning his coaching career in 1980 as the defensive coordinator at Big Sandy High School in Upshur County, Texas.
Defensive Backs Coach: Pete Carroll
- I'm throwing out my personal disliking to the man, (most notability his days at USC) and giving him a coaching position on this "dream" Browns staff. Carroll, found success (albeit illegally at times) as the Head Coach of the Southern California from 2001-2009 recording a W-L mark of 83-19, winning two National Championships (AP Poll in 2003 & the 2004 BCS Title that has been vacanted since), and 7 PAC 10 Championship. Currently the Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks, he was previously been the Head Coach of the NY Jets & NE Patriots. His NFL HC record currently stands at 58-54, having made the playoffs four times in his 7-year NFL Head Coaching career. In 1984, he broke into the NFL as the Buffalo Bills defensive back's coach.
There you have it, my "dream" coaching staff for the Cleveland Browns, that I'm sure would be together for a year, as they would all probably land Head Coaching positions somewhere else, but a boy can dream, right? LETS GO BROWNS!
