Browns hire Childress as offensive coordinator

Brad Childress is aboard as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, but it's not yet known if he will call plays.

Since it's January the two have months to discuss the best way to handle play-calling, and a decision will be made over time.

Browns fans who didn’t like Shurmur’s approach last season might prefer that Childress calls the plays, but as head coach of the Vikings, Childress only called plays in 2006 – when the Vikings averaged 17 points. He gave duties to coordinator Darrell Bevell the following season, though he had final say in gameplans.

All that being said, the most important thing is that Shurmur has a guy on the staff he knows and trusts. If the two can work together – and they have in the past in Philadelphia – the play-calling situation would not seem to be a major impediment.

Childress brings 33 years of experience and great knowledge in the system that Shurmur wants to run. If nothing else, Childress would have considerable input and might be able to eliminate the four- and six-yard passes that seemed such a staple of the Browns offense last season.

His hiring does bring to mind one scene out of Ringling Bros. though.

That’s the one when a small car like a Volkswagen bug would drive into a circus. The door would open, and out would step a clown. Then another, and another, and another. So many clowns came pouring out it brought laughs and guffaws.

This comes to mind with the hiring of Childress because if you open the front door to Berea, out will walk client after client of agent Bob LaMonte, who now represents the Browns president (Mike Holmgren), general manager (Tom Heckert), coach (Shurmur) and offensive coordinator (Childress). It’s to the point in Berea that LaMonte represents the guy doing the hiring of the guy he’s representing.

This is all a sidenote, of course. Because if Childress makes the Browns offense better it doesn’t matter if he’s represented by Dumbo the Elephant.

Childress was offensive coordinator in Philadelphia under Andy Reid for four seasons (2002-’05), but Reid called the plays (as he does now). Childress went to Minnesota in 2006 and the Vikings offense improved every year from 26th to 15th to 12th to 2nd in points, and eighth to 20th to sixth to sixth in total offense.

Of course the final season when the Vikings went to the NFC Championship Game coincided with the arrival of Brett Favre. That was one of the best years of Favre’s career (33 TDs, seven INTs), and Childress failed epically the next season when he convinced Favre to return for one last fling. Favre was a shell of himself, and Childress was fired after the Vikings started 3-7.

Childress took a year off, but decided to return to coaching. He joined the Browns after interviewing to be Tampa Bay’s coach, only to see Rutgers’ Greg Schiano hired.

He didn’t have to work. Childress was due $6.6 million for the final two years of the contract extension he signed in Favre’s first year. 

He joins a Browns offense that in Shurmur’s first season ranked 29th overall, and 30th in points.

One could say there’s nowhere to go but up.

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/01/27/12/Browns-hire-Childress-as-offensive-coord/landing_browns.html?blockID=654642&feedID=3725

Brad Childress closing in on Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator position, says NFL source

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Mike Sherman close to becoming offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, former Vikings coach Brad Childress is the frontrunner for the Browns' vacancy at that position, a league source told The Plain Dealer.

The Browns had narrowed their choices to Sherman, the former Packers coach, and Childress, the former Vikings coach, the source said. But Sherman spent Thursday with the Dolphins and came close to taking the job, where he would replace former Browns coordinator Brian Daboll.

That means Childress -- the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia from 2003-05 when Pat Shurmur was quarterbacks coach there -- will likely become the Browns first coordinator under Shurmur. The hiring could happen in the next few days.

Shurmur was his own coordinator in 2011 and called the plays. The Browns finished 29th in offense and 30th in points per game, scoring just one more point (218) than the 1999 expansion team.

Shurmur and Childress spent seven years together on the Eagles staff under Andy Reid before Childress left to take over as head coach of the Vikings from 2006-10.

But if Childress is hired, will Shurmur relinquish his play-calling duties?

Shurmur said during his season-ending press conference that he'd be willing to do that if the right coordinator came along. He acknowledged that he's good friends with Childress and respects his ability.

Childress, 55, did not call the plays under Reid in Philadelphia, but was on the staff for three consecutive NFC title games and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2004. Childress was the quarterbacks coach from 1999-2002, as quarterback Donovan McNabb earned three of his six trips to the Pro Bowl.

Childress was fired by the Vikings after 10 games of 2010 season after going 39-35 in his four-plus years, and 1-2 in postseason. The Browns did not interview him for the coordinator job last season.

Both Childress and Sherman are represented by agent Bob LaMonte, who also represents Browns President Mike Holmgren and Shurmur.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/brad_childress_closing_in_on_c.html

Cleveland Browns hire former Titans assistant Tim Hauck as DBs coach

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tim Hauck made a lasting impression on Browns President Mike Holmgren and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron when he played safety for them in Green Bay.

Hauck, who was hired Monday as defensive backs coach to replace Jerome Henderson, played four of his 13 NFL seasons in Green Bay (1991-1994), where Holmgren was head coach and Jauron was defensive backs coach. Hauck was a hard-hitting safety who played for seven NFL teams after signing with New England as an undrafted free agent out of Montana.

From 1999-2001, Hauck played in Philadelphia, where Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was tight ends/offensive line coach during those years. Browns General Manager Tom Heckert also spent the 2001 season with Hauck in Philadelphia after he joined the team as director of player personnel that year.

Henderson left to join former Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan in Dallas. In 2011, Henderson -- who spent three seasons with the Browns -- coached the Browns pass defense to a No. 2 ranking, with an average of only 184.9 yards allowed. However, the Browns were tied for second to last in the NFL with nine interceptions.

Hauck most recently was assistant secondary coach of the Titans under Jeff Fisher in 2009-10. Prior to that, he spent five years as a college assistant at his alma mater, Montana (2004-07), and at UCLA (2008).

During Hauck's 13-year playing career, he had stints with New England (1990), Green Bay (1991-94), Denver (1995-96), Seattle (1997), Indianapolis (1998), Philadelphia (1999-2001) and San Francisco (2002). He played 183 regular-season games in addition to eight playoff contests. As an Eagle in 1999, he made the tackle on Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin that ultimately ended Irvin's career with a spinal cord injury.

Hauck is the second assistant added by the Browns. Last week, they hired senior offensive assistant Nolan Cromwell, who formerly worked for Holmgren. Cromwell replaced Keith Gilbertson, who retired.

The Browns are still interviewing offensive coordinator candidates and will talk to some this week in Mobile, Ala. during Senior Bowl festivities. Two names on their radar are Mike Sherman and Brad Childress, but both are also being considered for other jobs. Sherman is a candidate to become Dolphins' offensive coordinator under new coach Joe Philbin, and is also a candidate for the Tampa Bay head coaching job. Childress has mentioned in connection with the Bucs and Colts head jobs.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/cleveland_browns_hire_former_t_1.html

Why Didn’t The Cleveland Browns Hire Brian Schottenheimer?

f the Cleveland Browns really wanted to get an offensive coordinator they should have jumped on board and made some kind of great offer to Brian Schottenheimer.  This guy could have come to Cleveland and made an impact right away I’ll bet. Instead of Cleveland going after Schottenheimer they sat back and watched the Rams pick the guy up. Now they have Fisher and Schottenheimer in St. Louis.

The name Schottenheimer means something to Browns fans. When Marty Schottenheimer was in Cleveland The Browns won football games. The thing about Cleveland sports teams is they don’t go after people. The Browns needed to at least get Schottenheimer to come to Cleveland and talk. Why they didn’t is anyone’s guess. Lets hope the Browns don’t bring in the guys that are Pat Shurmurs buddies from St. Louis, there is a god reason these guys are out of work.

With all the Offensive Coordinators out on the market, I am hoping the Browns can find a quality guy. I am also hoping that Pat Shurmur is better at finding a offensive coordinator than he was as doing the job himself.

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/why-didnt-the-cleveland-browns-hire-brian-schottenheimer/

Cleveland Browns confirm hiring of Nolan Cromwell to Pat Shurmur's coaching staff

By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Could the hiring of Nolan Cromwell to Pat Shurmur's coaching staff be a precursor to the next Browns offensive coordinator?

Cromwell, most recently Rams receivers coach, has extensive coaching experience under Mike Holmgren. He also spent two years as offensive coordinator under Mike Sherman at Texas A&M. Sherman is a presumed candidate to take over Shurmur's offense as coordinator. But Sherman, also from the Holmgren coaching tree, is waiting on Tampa Bay to choose its next head coach. Sherman has been interviewed for the position.

Cromwell, 56, was an NFL safety for 11 years, but his NFL coaching experience has been on offense since 1998. He moved to receivers after seven seasons as Holmgren's special teams coordinator in Green Bay. Cromwell followed Holmgren to Seattle and was Seahawks receivers coach through 2007.

Cromwell left Seattle to become Sherman's offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. In two seasons, the Aggies ranked in the top 30 in rushing, passing, scoring and total offense. But Sherman called his own plays. When Cromwell decided to return to the NFL in 2010 as Rams receivers coach, Sherman praised him for his patience.

"It's not easy being an offensive coordinator under an offensive head coach," Sherman said.

In 2010, Shurmur and Cromwell enjoyed a successful season in St. Louis in quarterback Sam Bradford's rookie season. After Shurmur left for Cleveland, the Rams suffered a 2-14 season with Josh McDaniels as coordinator. The Rams fired the coaching staff and are now assembling a new one under new head coach Jeff Fisher.

Cromwell was a safety with the Rams, earning Pro Bowl berths four times. His coaching career began with the Rams in 1991 as a defensive and special teams assistant.

Cromwell joined Holmgren's staff in Green Bay in 1992 as special teams coordinator.

The Browns confirmed that Keith Gilbertson was retiring. Gilbertson, a former Holmgren assistant in Seattle, was Browns director of pro personnel in 2010 and was a senior assistant offensive coach in 2011.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/cleveland_browns_adding_nolan.html

Browns Losing DB Coach Jerome Henderson to the Cowboys

The Browns are on the verge of losing their defensive backs coach, as Jerome Henderson is going to be leaving the team to become the secondary coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

The 41-year-old was named the Browns DB coach on January 22, 2009. He will reunite with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who is the Cowboys defensive coordinator. Henderson worked for Ryan the first two years he was the Browns defensive backs coach.

Henderson helped the Browns ranked second in the NFL in passing defense this season. He broke into coaching with the Jets in 2007 as an assistant defensive backs coach/director of player development, he was promoted to defensive backs coach in 2008, when Darrelle Revis made his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Henderson was a second-round pick by the Patriots in 1991 and played eight seasons in the NFL as a free safety. He made 33 starts in his career while playing for the Patriots, Bills, Eagles and Jets.

http://www.brownsgab.com/2012/01/11/browns-losing-db-coach-jerome-henderson-to-the-cowboys/

Browns Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron Not Happy

The Cleveland Browns run defense down right stinks, Jauran says he is not happy with the way the Browns Defense stops the run. Do you know why? Come a little closer I’ll let you in on a secret.  It is because they can’t stop the run. This is a defense that at one point in the season made it all the way to number two against the pass and fell to 30th against the run. Jauron should be happy, happy he still has a job that is. Jauron needs to get guys plugin the holes. The Browns are getting killed against the run and unless Jauron had some sort of premonition this past week the very same thing is going to happen against the Rams.

The front four of the Browns haven’t been very effective against the run pure and simple.  I really can’t see how Jauron is going to be able to change things in a week. The Browns may even have some problems in the secondary with out the services of T.J. Ward however Jauron may just luck out seeing how the Rams are just as bad as the Browns when it come to any kind of aerial attack.  Jauron has got to get his line backers to come up a little closer to the line to stop the run. A blind man could see that.

If Jauron’s run defense hasn’t learned anything new this week at practice then the Browns are in for another long Sunday afternoon again.

 

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/browns_defensive_coordinator_dick_jauron_not_happy/8022049

A fiery leader inspires a resurgent San Francisco 49ers: Tony Grossi's Scouting Report

By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The story goes that three NFL head coaches were talking at dinner one night at the annual league meetings in New Orleans in March. They were Jim Schwartz of Detroit, John Harbaugh of Baltimore and his younger brother, Jim, of San Francisco.

The topic was the impending NFL owners lockout and the effect it might have on the 2011 season. Schwartz opined that the league shutdown would kill hopes of any of the eight rookie head coaches having a good season. Jim Harbaugh listened to Schwartz and didn't say a word. The look on his face said, "Watch me."

That was part of the back story to the now-famous handshake Harbaugh gave Schwartz after his 49ers handed the Lions their first loss of the season two weeks ago, 25-19.

"Showed you."

The win improved the 49ers to 5-1 -- second-best record in the NFL. The Browns play Harbaugh's resurgent team Sunday in Candlestick Park.

Harbaugh's overly scrutinized handshake with Schwartz, which was more like a "get out of my way" shove in the back, played into Harbaugh's tough-guy image in the Bay Area. His predecessor as 49ers coach, Mike Singletary, was one of the toughest NFL players of his era, but he didn't win nearly enough to achieve the popularity Harbaugh has in his six games on the job.

Harbaugh had more going for him, too. Local fans had watched Harbaugh build nearby Stanford University into a national BCS championship contender in four years after inheriting an 0-11 program. Also, Harbaugh was recruited as Stanford's coach by 49ers icon Bill Walsh, who was consulting for the university at which he also formerly coached right up until the time he died from cancer.

So when Harbaugh resisted reportedly more money offered by Miami Dolphins owner Steven Ross -- and the chance to return as a hero to his alma mater, the University of Michigan -- long-suffering 49ers fans instantly fell in love. Harbaugh has given them reason to hope the team can return to league prominence after an eight-year playoff drought.

The 49ers are the lone quality team in the NFC West, which has for some time been regarded as the weakest division in the NFL. This year, the division has the second-worst record in out-of-division games -- 6-15. Four wins belong to the 49ers.

They have opened a three-game lead in the NFC West by playing the same physical style that Harbaugh fashioned at Stanford. Though Harbaugh espouses the Walsh-inspired West Coast offense, his brand emphasizes the tough running of Frank Gore, low-risk passing primarily to two tight ends and a swarming, 3-4 defense that suffocates opponents' running games.

Though quarterback Alex Smith has the highest passer rating of his seven-year career -- by far -- Harbaugh has him throwing and thinking less.

And yes, Harbaugh did hire an offensive coordinator. He's Greg Roman, the same man who helped develop Stanford's Andrew Luck into the next great NFL quarterback prospect. Roman, incidentally, calls the offensive plays for the 49ers.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/10/a_fiery_leader_inspires_a_resu.html

Browns GM wants to add players

General manager Tom Heckert isn't exactly sure where the Cleveland Browns have improved.

Heckert is certain, however, that he and new coach Pat Shurmur are trying to enhance the roster with younger players, adding depth and energy to a club that went 5-11 a year ago.

''We want to try and get the best possible players in here for our guys to coach,'' Heckert said Sunday after claiming three players on waivers. ''I don't know if we're done. I think we'll make one or two more moves.''

Concerned by injuries depleting depth at some spots, the Browns claimed linebacker Quinton Spears from Miami, defensive tackle Emmanuel Stephens from Atlanta and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis from St. Louis.

Lewis' availability caused the Browns to change course from carrying only starter Colt McCoy and veteran Seneca Wallace at quarterback.

''We really like this kid,'' Heckert said of Lewis, who was on the Rams' practice roster all last season when Shurmur was St. Louis' offensive coordinator.

''He's very accurate, has a strong arm and is a good athlete,'' Heckert said. ''He completed over 70 percent this year.''

Lewis went 23 of 32 for 266 yards without a touchdown or interception in exhibition play this summer for the Rams. In 2010, he was 22 for 28 (78.6%) for 255 yards, two TDs and one interception to earn an opening-day roster spot.

Lewis set school records as a four-year starter at Duke, throwing for 10,065 yards and 67 touchdowns.

Heckert said adding Lewis does not indicate any displeasure with McCoy running the new west coast offense installed by Shurmur.

''He's picked up the offense really well and I think you'll see him gain as the season goes on,'' Heckert said, adding that McCoy's already effective leadership qualities have become even stronger.

The general manager is hopeful that Spears, who played wide receiver and defensive end at Prairie View A&M, can transition to linebacker, where the Browns need help. Titus Brown is out with a high ankle sprain, though veteran Chris Gocong is expected back for the season opener Sunday against Cincinnati after missing most of the exhibition season with a neck injury.

''We are thin there,'' Heckert said of the linebacking corps. ''We think (Spears) can play, rush the passer. He can run. We're excited to have him.''

Heckert is continuing to look for help on the offensive line, where starting left guard Eric Steinbach is out for the season after having back surgery Tuesday. Rookie Jason Pinkston is in line to start the opener against the Bengals.

''We do like Pinkston a lot and think he can do it,'' Heckert said. ''We think (John) Grecco can do it. That's not to say we;re not going to add somebody.

It may not be an experienced player, either. Heckert has repeatedly said that he wants to build the Browns through the draft and that claiming younger players falls in line with that philosophy.

''I don't know if we're better or worse, but we are younger,'' Heckert said. ''We wanted that. We want guys that are going to practice every day.''

Defensive tackle Phil Taylor and wide receiver Greg Little, the Browns' first two draft picks, are getting plenty of action.

''A rookie starting in the NFL is not the easiest thing to do, but we drafted Phil to come here and play,'' Heckert said. ''We want to see more of Little. He's got a big body and can catch the ball. He's going to play.''

To clear roster room, Cleveland released defensive lineman Derreck Robinson and waived linebacker Benjamin Jacobs and defensive lineman Auston English. The Browns also signed six players to their practice squad. All six had been waived by the team Saturday: offensive linemen Dominic Alford and Jarrod Shaw, fullback Tyler Clutts, running back Quinn Porter, defensive lineman Brian Sanford and wide receiver Rod Windsor.

Source:

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/browns_gm_wants_to_add_players/6562948

Ex-49ers coach thinks Browns have winner in Holmgren

The Packers, apparently, are shielded from the lake effect by Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, a bite of land that separates the city of Green Bay from Lake Michigan.
The teams that are either on or nearer one of the Great Lakes are getting clobbered.
The Lions, representing Lakes Michigan and Huron, had the NFL’s worst record of the 2000s.
The Bills, representing Lakes Erie and Ontario, join Detroit as the only teams not to appear in a postseason game since the 1990s.
The Browns, who could cliff dive from their stadium into Lake Erie, lost their team to the Chesapeake Bay in 1996 and have been losing since they came back from scratch.
Fans of all three teams need a little light. For the purposes of this column, Detroit and Buffalo will have to fend for themselves.
We offer, though, a glimmer of hope for Cleveland, via a voice from a past linked to five Super Bowl championships.
Bill McPherson was a defensive coach on all five San Francisco teams that won Super Bowls in an era associated with offensive mastermind Bill Walsh. By the time Mike Holmgren joined the team as quarterbacks coach in 1986, McPherson had been with the 49ers for seven years.
Holmgren spent his last three years in San Francisco, 1989-91, as offensive coordinator. McPherson was defensive coordinator. Both were magnificent in Super Bowl XXIV, a 55-10 demolition of Denver.
McPherson’s side fared roughly as well in the next year’s NFC title game, but Holmgren’s side came up short in a 15-13 loss to the Giants, a game that propelled Bill Belichick to the head coaching job in Cleveland.
One can only imagine what might have happened if Holmgren had won a second straight Super Bowl. Would HE have leapfrogged Belichick as the Browns’ top choice? Would Walsh have advised Holmgren to accept the job?
Holmgren was late to come to Cleveland, as president in 2010. It’s not nearly enough to say the Browns have been slow to recover from the Belichick era. It has been much more complicated and much worse than THAT.
From his retirement home in San Jose, Calif., though, McPherson sounded quite convinced things will get better in Cleveland. The reason, for him, is Holmgren.
“Mike is really bright, as you know,” McPherson said during a conversation the other day. “He has done some great things as a coach and he has so many good attributes, a lot of them coming from being associated with Bill Walsh.
“Beyond that, so much of it is what Mike has done with what he has learned.”
THREE SUPER BOWLS
Holmgren piloted Green Bay to two Super Bowls in the 1990s. The Packers had not been to one since the 1960s. He coached Seattle to a Super Bowl several years later. The Seahawks had not been to the big game in their 29 previous seasons.
“Mike is one of the best guys I know,” McPherson said. “We used to ride to work together when we were with the 49ers. We lived about a half mile apart in Santa Clara. He still has a place out here up on a hill.
“I’ve talked to him since he went to Cleveland. He said the first thing he had to do was buy a snow blower.
“As I got to know him, I thought he had more in his personality and mental makeup that was similar to Bill Walsh than anybody I knew.”
Walsh was a Paul Brown follower to a large extent — he had worked for Brown’s Bengals and flew in for Brown’s funeral in Massillon in 1991. Walsh turned the 49ers from the pits into a dynasty, working for just 10 years. He handed his headset to George Seifert in 1989 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
TWO SIDES OF WALSH
On game days, Holmgren and McPherson used to communicate with Walsh from the press box.
“Bill could fool you,” McPherson said. “He could be standing there on the sidelines looking very calm, but sometimes he would cup his hand over his mouthpiece, and he would yell so loudly at Mike that you could hear the sound spilling from Mike’s headphones.
“And Bill might be saying, ‘Mike! Will you give me a (bleepity-bleep) play? ARE WE GONNA GET A PLAY?’ ”
Holmgren was the star pupil then. Now he is the big boss in Cleveland. The guess is he was both fair and stern with the last head coach, Eric Mangini, and will be supportive and demanding with the new one, Pat Shurmur.
“Mike knows how to deal with people,” McPherson said. “He can be very nice. He can fire it up. He can be funnier than anything, or he can be ... look out.
“I think he’s really smart with offense, and really smart dealing with people.”
WHAT ABOUT DEFENSE?
Holmgren will be very hands on in terms of helping Shurmur replace Mangini’s offense with a West Coast system. He won’t get nearly as involved with defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, who has been a head coach with three NFL teams.
McPherson has a little background with Jauron. He had retired as defensive coordinator when Walsh, who had assumed an executive position in the early 1990s, talked him into coming back as director of pro personnel.
The team needed a defensive coordinator and interviewed Jauron. If the job hadn’t gone to Jeff Fisher, McPherson said, Jauron would have been hired.
McPherson predicts that Jauron will be an important part of what he expects to be a strong Browns team under Holmgren’s direction.
“One of the assistant coaches who will help a lot is Dwaine Board,” McPherson said.
Board played defensive end for McPherson for 10 years in San Francisco. He was hired in January as the Browns’ defensive line coach.
“(Board) is very serious and very bright,” McPherson said. “Guys will respect him. As a coach, he was one of those players you’d have been happy to have as one of your own kids.
“He’s smart as hell. He majored in computer science. When he was starting out as a coach with us in San Francisco, he set up a computer program for George Seifert.”

 

• Article Source:
• http://www.cantonrep.com/browns/x438675412/Around-the-NFL-Ex-49ers-coach-thinks-Browns-have-winner-in-Holmgren

Browns Fire Longtime Player Development Director Jerry Butler

Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio reports the Browns have cut ties with longtime player development director and former assistant coach Jerry Butler, two sources have confirmed.
The move is a surprising one given Butler’s longevity with the team and in the league and the respect he’s earned in NFL circles. The Browns made some confirmed cuts on the business side of their operations earlier in the offseason but have not laid off employees or cut wages due to the NFL lockout.
Butler, whose nine-year NFL playing career included being named AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Bills in 1979, served as the Browns’ wide receivers coach in 1999 and 2000 under then-coach Chris Palmer. He moved into his role as director of player Development the following year.

Eric Mangini going to the UFL?

The UFL's Hartford Colonials are "interested" in former Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini to replace another former Browns coach, Chris Palmer. Palmer recently became offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.

"He is one of the people we would hope to talk to," Colonials owner Bill Mayer said of Mangini this week. "What comes out of that, I don't know. I've been looking at our Facebook site, and it certainly has generated a lot of conversation. He's a Connecticut native and he's had experience. Whether we end up doing anything with him or not, we haven't sat down yet, so it’s not at all clear whether this timing would work for him.

"That doesn’t mean we're in negotiations or that he's going to be the next coach, but he's certainly on the list."

Mangini still has two years left on his contract with the Browns and will make millions of dollars from it. Therefore, I doubt we will see Mangini on the sidelines this upcoming season, especially if it's not in the NFL. The only reason this is news is because a UFL owner publicly threw out the bait in the event Mangini would be interested.

Mangini has already participated in television analysis and discussed a consultant job with the Miami Dolphins since being let go by Cleveland in January. He can stay active in football in various ways, while still getting the rest of his money from the Browns without dabbling in the minor leagues.

Browns complete their first coaching staff

The Browns rounded out their coaching staff Monday with the addition of three assistants to the position coaches and two senior assistants.

They also confirmed the coaches who have been retained, as previously reported.

The newcomers are Chris Beake (offensive assistant), Chuck Bullough (defensive assistant), Shawn Mennenga (special teams assistant) and Ray Rhodes (senior assistant/defense), who was formerly head coach of the Packers and Eagles. Keith Gilbertson will also return to the coaching ranks in 2011 as senior assistant – offense after previously serving as the Browns' director of pro personnel last year.

“With our coaching staff now complete, I'm excited about the group that we have been able to assemble,” head coach Pat Shurmur said in a press release. “I believe we have a blend of coaches with a tremendous amount of experience who have proven to be excellent teachers throughout the course of their careers.

"I have known most of these guys for a considerable amount of time, and not only have I been impressed with their work, but they are all greatly respected around the league.

"Many of our coaches have been a part of winning programs, which is an important element as well. I feel very good about the strengths that each coach possesses, and I am confident this will benefit our team.''

The Browns confirmed they've retained the following coaches: Gary Brown (running backs), Steve Hagen (tight ends), Jerome Henderson (defensive backs), Kent Johnston (strength and conditioning), Rick Lyle (assistant strength and conditioning), Luke Steckel (assistant to the head coach) and George Warhop (offensive line).

Rhodes brings 30 years of NFL coaching experience, including five seasons as a head coach. He spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans, serving first as assistant defensive backs coach in 2008 before spending the last two seasons as senior defensive assistant. Rhodes spent five seasons working under Holmgren in Seattle as defensive coordinator (2003-05) and special projects/defense (2006-07). He also worked under Holmgren in Green Bay in 1992-93.

He was the head coach in Green Bay in 1998, leading the Packers to an 8-8 record. Rhodes was the head coach in Philadelphia from 1995-98 and in his first year there he earned NFL Coach of Year honors after guiding the Eagles to a 10-6 mark.

Beake spent last season as an offensive assistant with the 49ers. Prior to that, he spent two years with the Seahawks, first as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 before serving as an offensive assistant/assistant special teams coach the following season.

Bullough has 14 years of coaching experience on the collegiate and professional levels. He spent the previous five seasons at UCLA, where he served as the linebackers coach (2006-08) and defensive coordinator (2009-10). Bullough was an assistant at Michigan State at the same time as Shurmur.

Gilbertson joined the Browns last season. He has 38 years of coaching experience, most recently with Seattle, where he served in several capacities, including offensive consultant (2005), assistant offensive line coach (2006-07) and wide receivers coach (2008).

Mennenga brings 17 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Browns’ special teams. He most recently spent the past two seasons (2009-10) as the linebackers coach at South Dakota State.

Steckel enters his third season with the Browns as the assistant to the head coach. Steckel’s father, Les, was a coach for 32 years, 23 in the NFL, including the 1984 season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings

Browns confirm hiring of four assistant coaches

Pat Shurmur added four assistants to his Cleveland Browns staff on Monday, and most likely will go without an offensive coordinator in 2011, a league source said.

Mark Whipple

Shurmur hired Mark Whipple (quarterbacks), Mike Wilson (receivers), Bill Davis (linebackers) and Dwaine Board (defensive line). The four have strong ties to either Shurmur, Browns President Mike Holmgren or General Manager Tom Heckert. 

With Whipple, Shurmur might decide to go without an offensive coordinator in 2011. He's already said he'll call his own plays this season. Only one team, Bill Belichick's Patriots, did so in 2010. The Cardinals had two, one for the passing game and one for the running game. 

Bill Davis

The hiring of Davis represents a homecoming. He was born in Youngstown, attended Berea High School and his father, Bill Davis, spent six years with the Browns (1981-86) as director and then vice president of player personnel.

Fired as defensive coordinator of the Cardinals this month, Davis was a defensive quality coach for the Browns under Chris Palmer in the 1999 expansion season. He was also a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1990-91 when Shurmur was an assistant. 

Davis has 19 years' NFL experience with eight teams. He was coordinator of the 49ers in 2005-06. In 2009, Davis' first season with the Cardinals, the unit allowed 325 points, fifth-best in the NFL. The Cardinals finished 29th in defense in 2010. 
The two other assistants, Board and Wilson, played for the 49ers when Holmgren was an assistant there. Board also served as the Seahawks defensive line coach under Holmgren from 2003-08. Board's experience is in the 4-3 defense, which the Browns are expected to run under new coordinator Dick Jauron. 

Dwaine Board

Board played 10 NFL seasons, winning two Super Bowls with the 49ers and earning Super Bowl XIX Defensive Player of the Game honors. During 20 years as a player and coach, his teams have made 18 playoff appearances, claimed 15 division titles, advanced to six Super Bowls and won five. 

Mike Wilson

Wilson brings 13 years coaching experience at the college and pro levels. He played 10 seasons with the 49ers, where he won four Super Bowls. Wilson coached the receivers for two years with the Raiders and had three seasons as tight ends and receivers coach in Arizona.

Cleveland Browns hire former Bears assistant Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator

Chris Tabor

Chris Tabor has only three years' NFL experience, but the Browns' new special teams coordinator comes highly recommended from a colleague of new coach Pat Shurmur and General Manager Tom Heckert.

Tabor spent the past three seasons as an assistant under Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who worked with Shurmur and Heckert in Philadelphia from 2001-03.

"I'm very happy for Chris. We all are in the Bears organization," Toub said in a Browns release. "I'm very proud of him. He's a great coach. We're all going to miss him. The coaches, players and staff loved him here. Cleveland's players are going to really like him and respond well to him. He brings a lot to the Browns organization."

Late in the 2010 season, when it became apparent that Tabor would receive other opportunities, Toub told the Chicago Tribune that he understood exactly why.

"He is so ready," Toub said. "I've been in that role, same as him three years as an assistant when I was in Philly. This is his third year and I know how he feels. He's needs to get his own spot. He has the system. He can motivate. He's a great teacher. The guys respect him. It's time."

Tabor, who has worked with Devin Hester -- the NFL's all-time leader in combined kick returns with 14 -- impressed the Browns' new coach.

"I believe that Chris is one of the up-and-coming special teams coaches in this league," Shurmur said in the release. "He's smart, enthusiastic and has a true passion for this area of the game. 

"In Chris' three years with the Bears, they consistently boasted one of the best special teams groups in the league, in just about every facet. Having faced them in 2008 and 2009, I know what a challenge it was to go up against their unit. He'll be a valuable addition to our coaching staff."

Tabor has the daunting task of replacing Brad Seely, who took the same position with the 49ers. In 2009, the Browns ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in eight special-team categories.

Tabor goes from working with Hester to Josh Cribbs. Although he's coming off a down year because of a foot injury, Cribbs holds the NFL career record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns.

During Tabor's three years in Chicago, the Bears ranked in the top five in nine different special-team categories. Over the last three years, Chicago leads the NFL in total return yards (6,570) and kickoff return yards (5,415) and posted the second-best kickoff return average (25.1).

Also during Tabor's tenure, the Bears tied for fifth in the league in punts inside the 20 and tied for seventh in field goal percentage.

Tabor also has helped shape some of the NFL's other top return specialists. In 2008, Danieal Manning led in kickoff return average (29.7). In 2009, Johnny Knox finished second in kickoff return average (29.0) and earned a Pro Bowl selection.

Shurmur now has two of his three coordinator positions filled, with defensive coordinator Dick Jauron being hired last week. 

Browns Hire Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron

Rumors about the Browns and Jauron surfaced the day after the Eagles' season ended, with a 21-16 loss to the Packers in the wild-card round.

"I want to thank Pat and the Cleveland Browns for this great opportunity," Jauron said. "There were many elements of this job that were attractive for me. I have known Pat and his family for a long time, and in fact, I played for and coached with his uncle, Fritz. I believe that with people like Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert in place, this organization is building a solid foundation. I can't wait to get started with the Browns."