The Cleveland Browns will search for their forth head coach in five years. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Monday that the organization has decided to part ways with head coach Pat Shurmur following a 5-11 season. Shurmur failed to last two years in Cleveland, leading the Browns to their second consecutive losing season under his watch.
Cleveland Browns boot Pat Shurmur
Browns’ head coach Pat Shurmur is now the third head coach to be fired in as many years.
Eric P. Mull-US PRESSWIRE
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Hired by Mike Holmgren early in 2011, Pat Shurmur's development of Sam Bradford in St. Louis, paired with a history with the retiring Browns' executive was supposed to help the Browns usher in a new era. Instead, new team owner Jimmy Haslam, and appointed CEO Joe Banner made early indications that change would be underfoot in Cleveland. On the same day the sale of the Browns was approved, Holmgren announced he would leave the organization at the end of the season -- an indication that a regime change was imminent.
The 2012 draft revolved around Holmgren and Shurmur fixing the Cleveland Browns' offense. Using two first-round picks on Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden respectively, the plan was to slowly build the Browns' weakest side of the ball. Finishing his rookie year with a quarterback rating of 72.6, Weeden had the worst statistical season of quarterback selected in the first round, while Trent Richardson set teams records, but was out-paced by fellow first-round back Doug Martin.
Cleveland now returns to the drawing board, and a new front office will hope that their first coaching hire will break through, finally turning the Browns’ around.
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