Mark O Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Holmgren would be good fit for Browns By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com Archive If former sideline boss Mike Holmgren is as legitimately interested in the Cleveland Browns' top front-office job as he indicated to a Seattle radio station late last week, the former NFL coach would bring immediate "streetcredulous" status -- a term recently coined by "Pardon the Interruption" co-host Michael Wilbon -- to a franchise rich in tradition but which has bankrupted the essential sense of connection to its fans. Unlike the often eloquent Wilbon, yours truly is more hackneyed hack than witty wordsmith. And despite Wilbon's insistence that "streetcredulous" is a real-world word, Merriam-Webster has been no help at all in defining it. So our incredible un-hipness aside, we'll venture a somewhat educated guess that it has some reference to street credibility, a commodity in short supply for a franchise harboring the best of intentions but also owning one of the league's worst track records of the past decade. Holmgren, whose 17-year head coach résumé in Seattle and Green Bay includes 174 victories, a dozen playoff berths, three Super Bowl appearances and one title ring, could restore that sense of faith and bring back the civic pride that once barked from the Dawg Pound. Browns owner Randy Lerner, a second-generation franchise steward but a firsthand fan, and a man who desperately wants to bring a championship to the shores of Lake Erie, could do worse. He has, in fact, done much worse, and this might be one of Lerner's few remaining opportunities to get it right. Mike Holmgren, it says here, is the right man for this terribly daunting task. And Lerner should summarily squelch any rumors that Holmgren could return to the Seahawks in some front-office capacity, by hiring him quickly. His critics will point out right about now that Holmgren failed miserably in his previous incarnation as an NFL general manager. For four seasons, 1999-2002, Holmgren was essentially the football grand poo-bah of the Seattle Seahawks, holding the twin titles of executive vice president and head coach. In short, he was the premier overseer of owner Paul Allen's football fiefdom, a guy who bought the groceries and also cooked the meal, to steal an old Bill Parcells line. And as a general manager, Holmgren was, well, a very good head coach. During his tenure wearing twin-billed caps, he was 31-34 including playoffs (.477), went to the postseason one time and never notched a playoff victory. Some of the 38 draft choices he exercised were fantastic (guard Steve Hutchinson and tailback Shaun Alexander), but more were flawed (wide receiver Koren Robinson and tight end Jerramy Stevens). After he was squeezed out of the executive V.P. role in 2003, Holmgren registered a 59-46 mark (.566), won four division championships in six seasons and claimed a wild-card berth, and went to Super Bowl XL. Just as important, Holmgren discovered that his dream scenario, the dual role of general manager and coach that he publicly longed for in much of his seven seasons in Green Bay, actually was one job too many. It took awhile for Parcells to come to the same conclusion, but when he did, he became a terrific team official, one who could assemble a good, competitive roster while delegating the head-coaching job to someone else entirely. At age 61, still young enough to accept the kind of challenge the Browns present but old enough to understand that his fingerprints don't have to be on every facet of the Cleveland operation, Holmgren could find the same manner of satisfaction that Parcells has discovered the past couple of seasons in South Florida. Given the opportunity, the bet is that he will. Imbued with a limitless reservoir of football knowledge, and having learned some of the things you can't do, Holmgren is the man for the job. The path to success in Cleveland is a rocky one to be sure, but Parcells has dropped enough bread crumbs along the way for Holmgren to follow. The first thing that Lerner must do to steady his leaky ship is define the job and its responsibilities. Does he want a traditional general manager, a team president, an official who combines both? Does the rebuilding job command a traditional "football guy" or a salary-cap manager who pays more attention to the bottom line than to the finish line of the 40-yard dash? Will the front-office person Lerner eventually tabs make the final decision about whether current coach Eric Mangini comes back in 2010? Just how much clout does Lerner, hardly a meddlesome guy but one who's got to be weary of starting over every few seasons, cede to the new guy? Depending on the job description, there are plenty of potential candidates. People talk often about how many high-profile coaches are presently available. But the list of football management types is nearly as impressive, even if their résumés don't include a bushel full of Super Bowl titles. Among the unemployed, the list includes (but is hardly limited to) men such as Ron Wolf, Bruce Allen, Tom Donahoe, Billy Kuharich, Ted Sundquist, Michael Lombardi and Charley Casserly. There are "consultant" types such as Marv Levy, Ernie Accorsi, Jay Zygmunt, Carl Peterson or even Tony Dungy. A source close to Holmgren noted this week that the former coach tried and failed to do everything himself, and that he would delegate many of the responsibilities. "Sometimes," said the source, "you've got to know what you don't know, and let someone else do it for you. [Holmgren] is at that point." For scouting, he could rely on Green Bay personnel experts such as Reggie McKenzie or Shaun Herock. Need a cap guy? If he can tear himself away from his writing duties at the National Football Post, Andy Brandt is one of the best. A new head coach possibly? There are, as noted, a ton of options. After a year of respite, Holmgren seems to relish the potential for a comeback, and what better place than Cleveland, an NFL precinct with oodles of tradition and a place that the league desperately needs to be successful. The bet here is that Holmgren can reverse the Browns' fortunes and, if he does, he really might be streetcredulous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Thanks. I think the key for Holmgren is how willing he really is to not be on the sidelines. If he still has that desire, then it might not work out. If he has washed his hands of that, then I think he will be a great candidate. It's one thing for the GM/Czar to look to build the team and staff....it's another if that guy is in the meeting rooms telling the coaching staff how to set up next weeks gameplan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshutchins Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Holmgren would be good fit for Browns By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com Archive ... After a year of respite, Holmgren seems to relish the potential for a comeback, and what better place than Cleveland, an NFL precinct with oodles of tradition and a place that the league desperately needs to be successful. The bet here is that Holmgren can reverse the Browns' fortunes and, if he does, he really might be streetcredulous. Why is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NW Ohio Brownie Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I actually think Holmgren would keep Mangini around. Holmgren's coaching style also demanded accountability from his players. In fact, if Holmgren endorses Mangini, it would help Mangini's own credibility. But some of Mangini's power must be taken away along with this type of move. Holmgren and the scouting staff should have final say, not the only say, but the final say in who gets picked in April. Why? For the same reason Holmgren struggled for awhile in Seattle as GM and head coach: trying to do too much. There's no question this organization needs a Bill Parcells type role filled by someone like Holmgren who's had experience doing everything: GM, head coach, director of player personnel, etc. Let's hope Mr. Lerner heads in this direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gips Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Thanks. I think the key for Holmgren is how willing he really is to not be on the sidelines. If he still has that desire, then it might not work out. If he has washed his hands of that, then I think he will be a great candidate. It's one thing for the GM/Czar to look to build the team and staff....it's another if that guy is in the meeting rooms telling the coaching staff how to set up next weeks gameplan. I agree completely peen, i dont see randy wanting one guy to do it all...i would love to see holmgren come in as our football czar i think he would be a trustworthy organizational building point for randy lerner.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonedawg Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 MANGINI! GET YER ASS OVER HERE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownsKidd Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 So why hasn't this happened yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 So why hasn't this happened yet? No rush at this point. No more trades for the year etc. I am happy Lerner is taking his time. It's about time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrb12711 Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 man I hope this gets done. I think it's clear Holmgren wants to be a front office guy. I'm sure you guys have heard he turned down the bills today. Maybe he just didn't want to coach the bills, who knows. I take that as a somewhat sign though that he knows he could make bank to do his thing at a proverbial desk rather than on the sidelines Couldn't agree more on waiting though. It's nice to see we aren't rushing into things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YtownBrownsBacker Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 man I hope this gets done. I think it's clear Holmgren wants to be a front office guy. I'm sure you guys have heard he turned down the bills today. Maybe he just didn't want to coach the bills, who knows. I take that as a somewhat sign though that he knows he could make bank to do his thing at a proverbial desk rather than on the sidelines Couldn't agree more on waiting though. It's nice to see we aren't rushing into things. Tim Ruskell the VP/GM of Seattle is stepping down after the season and Seattle is supposedly interested in Holmgren taking over the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawgdamit Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Holmgren turned down the Bills for thier coaching job, He wants a front office job. I think he waiting tosee his choices. I would like him here. Butif not, There are other choices, Lerner needs to define thier roles and give him the final say on team matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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