Michael W. Youngman--Lead Analyst C.B.R.
Recently the Sporting News has released their NFL Head Coach rankings and not surprisingly the Cleveland Browns’ Pat Shurmur is near the bottom ranking 26 out of the 32 head coaches in the NFL. The rankings take into consideration both what a coach has accomplished thus far and where their status stands as of now. 18 of the 32 coaches listed in the pole have three years or less experience as a head coach. Also it includes Joe Vitt of the New Orleans Saints who will be coaching the team in Sean Payton’s absence this season due to his suspension for his role in the “bounty” scandal.
Shurmur's team had a rough start last year. He had no offseason program due to the lock-out, a weak offense which struggled to score points, and the team finished 4-12. So it’s not surprising that Shurmur wound end up near the bottom of the rankings. In fact Shurmur has “at times” appeared lost on the sidelines. He has made mental mistakes in play calling and sometimes resembles more like a spectator than a coach. As I was watching TV the other day I came across the classic Adam Sandler film “The Waterboy (1998)” and it made me think of an excellent question for the very loyal Cleveland Browns fan. Who do you want on the sidelines for the Cleveland Browns, Coach Shurmur, or Coach Klein (played by Henry Winkler)? Let’s compare the two.
Past coaching experience:
Coach Shurmur came to the Browns with 11 years of coaching experience in the NFL prior to last season. He came to Cleveland by way of St. Louis but he spent most of his coaching career under Eagles coach Andy Reid as an assistant in one form or another.
Coach Klein came to the Louisiana Mud Dogs by way of assistant coaching experience at fictional Louisiana University under famed Coach Cabinaugh. Unfortunately he was taken advantage of by fellow assistant coach Red Beaulleu and apparently suffered a nervous breakdown shortly after which gives coach Klein his “spaced out” personality. It is not clear if coach Shurmur had a nervous breakdown in his past but he does have that slightly medicated look at times when on the sidelines.
Coaching expertise
Pat Shurmur is known as an offensive minded coach. He comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree and runs probably the last “pure” form of the West Coast Offense in the league. However a weak offense last season did not reflect his offensive expertise and the only true reliable offensive weapon was “Old Faithful” Phil Dawson who made seven 50+ yard field goals in 2011 and made 24 of 29 attempts total. But the big bright spot for the Browns last season was the defense and its leader middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson who led the team and most of the league in tackles (2nd in NFL).
Coach Klein was known for his offensive creativity however the Mud Dog offense was lack luster as Klein's confidence was shaky at best. His team’s only offensive weapon was (like the Browns) their kicker Derek Wallace (Lawrence Gillard Jr.). However it was the defense that carried the Louisiana Mud Dogs a trip to the Bourbon Bowl. The leader of that Defense was middle linebacker Bobby Boucher Jr. (Adam Sandler) whose relentless rage was the true bright spot of the team. Of course by the end of the film coach Klein was able to show off his expertise and designed plays that helped the offense score points and won the Bourbon Bowl. So I guess coach Klein wins that round.
Presentation and Personality
One thing I do miss about some of the former coaches that have been in Cleveland is their personality. For example I took a great deal of enjoyment out of Romeo Crennel’s press conferences. Even Butch Davis was wildly animated at times. But Pat Shurmur (even though he may be a good coach) has to be the dullest head coach in the NFL. His press conferences and demeanor on the sidelines is similar to watching grass grow. Coach Klein on the other hand appears entertaining on the sidelines. It’s as if he isn’t exactly sure where he is but he is having fun and showing emotion even if it is rather odd.
So there you have the two coaches side by side. So if you were Mike Holmgren which would you choose to run your team? Coach Shurmur or Coach Klein? You can vote below.
On a small side note, doesn’t coach Farmer Fran in the film remind you of Dallas’s Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? The resemblance is eerie.
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