If the Cleveland Browns dismiss head coach Mike Pettine as expected after their season finale Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, owner Jimmy Haslam is expected to court some of the biggest coaching candidates on the market to replace him.
Browns expected to target Adam Gase, others to replace Mike Pettine
Owner Jimmy Haslam has reportedly already laid the groundwork to interview Gase.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Browns would be interested in speaking with Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and former Buffalo Bills head man Doug Marrone. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports Haslam has reportedly already laid the groundwork to interview Gase, who's expected to be arguably the hottest head coaching candidate on the market this offseason after successful stints as Peyton Manning's offensive coordinator in Denver and Jay Cutler's play-caller in Chicago.
Gase, 37, was supposedly on the Browns' radar when they hired Pettine in 2014, but he withdrew his candidacy to focus on the Broncos' Super Bowl run. Denver's offense put up sensational numbers with Gase calling plays, posting a league-best 34 points per game and leading the NFL in total offense in his two years as offensive coordinator.
Though Gase’s work with Manning is impressive, perhaps his greatest feat was milking a productive season out of Jay Cutler in Chicago. This year, the often maligned Cutler has earned a 92.8 quarterback rating, which is the best of his career.
Teryl Austin
Austin is one of the most respected defensive minds around the game, especially after orchestrating a respectable year out of the Lions' D after several personnel losses — most notably Ndamukong Suh and DeAndre Levy — and a rough start to the season as well. After allowing 45 points to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 1, the Lions haven't surrendered 30 points once and have only given up 20 or more points on three occasions.
Detroit had a top-five defense under Austin in 2014 and went 11-5.
Doug Marrone
Marrone dominated headlines early last winter when he opted out of his contract in Buffalo despite leading the Bills to a 9-7 campaign. It was a surprising move on the surface, considering Marrone had two years left on his deal and the Pegula family, the franchise’s new owners, seemed committed to putting a winning team on the field.
But there were reportedly a couple points of contention between the Bills and Marrone, most notably his supposed tension with general manager Doug Whaley. After failing to find another head coach or coordinator job last offseason, Marrone signed on to coach Jacksonville’s offensive line. Haslam reportedly liked Marrone when he was looking for a coach a couple of years ago as well.
If the Browns fire Pettine, Haslam will be looking for his third head coach since taking over the team in 2012. He’ll likely be seeking another general manager, too, as Ray Farmer is also expected to be canned.
The Browns are arguably the most moribund franchise in the NFL, only posting two winning campaigns since moving back to Cleveland in 1999. In two seasons, Pettine has led the team to a record of 10-21.
The last Browns head coach to last more than four years was Bill Belichick in 1995 and the last coach to move on with a winning record was Marty Schottenheimer in 1988.
See More:
