Events Calendar
In This Section
Barton goes on injured reserve
Patrick McManamon: Here's what the Browns should try the rest of the season
Ridenour: Browns are back but nothing has changed so far
Kosar would be wrong call as GM
Another wacky, crazy Browns week
Jamal Lewis will leave Browns on own terms
Legal battle could follow Browns' ouster of Kokinis
Browns talk with Marla Ridenour
Most Read Stories
Suitcase causes bomb scare at Akron bus terminal
Akron City Council OKs higher speed on I-77
Chapel Hill isn't rolling right along
Motorcyclist killed, wife injured in Stark County crash
New eateries expand menu of options
Man says he was punched, robbed by 3 people in parking lot
Patrick McManamon: Here's what the Browns should try the rest of the season
Louisville athlete commits to play for Boston College
Family found dead in Ohio home
Blogs:
Pets:
It Takes All Kinds
The Heldenfiles:
Tuesday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
An interesting thought from a reader
Akron Zips:
Akron vs. Mount Union — Liveblog
Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
Kent State Sports:
Flashes interested in another Cincinnati player
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes Roll 100-60 / Season Outlook
Varsity Letters:
Report: Walsh baseball player commits
All Da King's Men:
More On The Fort Hood Jihadist
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Simply Incapable of Telling The Truth
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (63) Commonwealth Fund Report on Primary Care
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
Aeromsith looking for new singer as Steven Tyler contemplates solo career
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
Video: 'Modern Warfare 2' hits the streets
If Cowher is first idea, they should keep Pioli in mind
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
BEREA: In the second half of Sunday's loss to Houston, the Bill Cowher chants began.
As Browns fans prepare for what could be another organizational upheaval, they seem fixated on the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, now a CBS analyst.
They look at Cowher's record of 161-99-1, the Steelers' 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles, two AFC champion-ships and one Super Bowl victory in 15 seasons under Cowher. Pittsburgh qualified for the postseason in Cowher's first six seasons, tying a record set by the Browns' Paul Brown.
But while his two-year network contract expires in February, there is no certainty Cowher, 51, will return to the NFL in 2009. His daughter, Lindsay, just signed to play basketball next year at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. Cowher certainly can't miss the long hours and constant stress.
If he is ready to come back, does owner Randy Lerner want to get caught up in a bidding war that could start at $8 million to $9 million a year? Would Lerner want to give Cowher full control over personnel when he's already been down that road with Butch Davis? And would Cowher seriously consider Cleveland, except to drive up his price tag, because of his loyalty to Steelers owner Dan Rooney? Jumping to the AFC North rival would be a slap in the face to one of the most respected men in the league.
If Lerner is leaning toward firing coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage and trying to get Cowher is Plan A, he needs to be developing Plan B, as well. And that means finding the moxie to go after New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli.
Lerner could have tried to land Pioli in 2005, but didn't ask the Patriots for permission to interview him. With just two full seasons in charge since his father, Al, died in 2002, Lerner might have feared offending his friend, Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Now with his organization riddled with dysfunction — a criticism he disputes — Lerner needs to resort to drastic measures. That means it's time to quit worrying about Kraft's reaction and stick his neck out for the success of his franchise.
For some reason, perhaps a league-wide fear of Kraft, only two teams have asked for permission to interview Pioli, in his ninth year in New England. They were the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants, the latter when Ernie Accorsi stepped down after the 2006 season.
Besides the Browns' 2005 search, Pioli's name also came up in connection with the Atlanta Falcons, who hired former Patriots director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff as general manager in January, and the Miami Dolphins, now run by Pioli's father-in-law, Bill Parcells. Dimitroff, a former college scout for the Browns, has helped Atlanta rise from a 4-12 team in 2007 to 7-4 this season with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan.
A source said Pioli was also considered for the GM job that went to Dwight Clark when the Browns returned in 1999, but the new group wanted no one with connections to the Art Modell regime (except for Al Lerner). Pioli spent 1992-95 as a Browns personnel assistant, hired by coach Bill Belichick.
There is the perception Pioli has no reason to leave New England, since the Patriots have made six playoff appearances and won three Super Bowls in his previous eight years. But under Belichick, Pioli is not allowed to speak publicly except at the Super Bowl and he has toiled in relative anonymity. He's been named the Pro Football Weekly/PFWA executive of the year twice (in 2003 and 2007) and was cited by other publications for the same award in 2001 and 2004.
At age 43, Pioli is ready to step out from Belichick's shadow and into the spotlight. He's worked with or for Belichick for 16 years (including three with the New York Jets, when Belichick was an assistant to Parcells). Pioli has proved he can find talent everywhere: Quarterback Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick (199th overall), and his backup Matt Cassell, a seventh-rounder (230th overall).
The Patriots haven't had a top-five draft choice since linebacker Willie McGinest in 1994. Before last year's 18-1 run that included a 16-0 regular season, Pioli and Belichick added four key players — receivers Randy Moss (in a trade with the Raiders for a fourth-round pick), Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker and linebacker Adalius Thomas.
Pioli would take an offer from Randy Lerner seriously, because he still has connections here. Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro is one of his best friends, a relationship that began when Pioli came to Cleveland in 1992.
To rebuild a beaten-down organization, it makes perfect sense to raid the league's best teams. Colts President Bill Polian is off limits, but his son Chris isn't. He's the Colts' vice president of football operations and a 1993 graduate of John Carroll.
Fighting to hire a No. 1 football man like Pioli and letting him find the next good young coach in the mold of Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin seems like a sound plan. Especially if Cleveland scratches its name on Cowher's dance card, and he doesn't care to tango.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: In the second half of Sunday's loss to Houston, the Bill Cowher chants began.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 08:05 AM, 11/30/2008
Unless you can get Belechick himself forget it! Weiss and RC were disasters. Also, it would be a public relations disaster to keep RC; HE IS SIMPLY NOT HEAD COACHING MATERIAL. Please!
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 08:24 AM, 11/30/2008
The Browns should do whatever it takes to sign Bill Cowher. There aren't that many other options. If they go cheap and inexperienced again, we'll see more of the same on the field failures. 1 playoff team since 1999's comeback to the NFL says it all. I don't think any Bill Belechick aides will do the job. Look how Romeo has failed. Sign Bill Cowher and follow his lead to a superbowl championship.
Posted 08:31 AM, 11/30/2008
All of you get over it........Cowher is NEVER coming to the Browns!
Posted 09:05 AM, 11/30/2008
We'd be better off with Schottenheimer or Billick. Or, if you want a darkhorse, look north to Canada and a guy named Don Matthews. Look him up. He is a known motivator and defensive genius, and happens to be the winningest coach in CFL history. His name is also being mentioned in connection with other possible NFL jobs.
Anti-Politically Correct & Anti-GOP, OH
Posted 09:21 AM, 11/30/2008
If they are going to spend that much money, try to land Jason Garret from Dallas.
Posted 10:45 AM, 11/30/2008
Excellent point, column and idea, Marla.
A, O
Posted 10:51 AM, 11/30/2008
Cowher will not come to Cleveland and we dont want him. Go Cavs!!!!!
Akron, OH
Posted 10:56 AM, 11/30/2008
I agree with the ones that are saying Cowher will not come here... it would be great if he did, but I don't think its going to happen... I really hope they figure something out though, our organization is in alot of trouble!
Posted 11:34 AM, 11/30/2008
Why do you say Cowher coming to Cleveland would be a slap in the face to the Rooney family? Have you forgotten that the Rooney's were the ownly owners to stand up to Modell and vote against the move to Baltimore? They know Cowher was a Brown, a coach for the Browns and they understand business. They also know it would take a couple of years to make the Browns an AFC North contender and during those building years, they could still kick the Browns around like a doormat. Having said that, I don't think Cowher is coming......period!
Port Saint Lucie, Fl
Posted 04:11 PM, 11/30/2008
Well,Indy won 10-6. 12 pts.in two games,unbelievable! Cleveland doesn't get beat bad,they just get beat.What a ,I hesitate to say it,team.
Posted 05:47 PM, 11/30/2008
Cowher is 50 years old or 51. If you believe he won't be coaching for the Browns, then it is safe to say that you DO NOT BELIEVE HE WILL EVER COACH AGAIN. This guy was born to coach football. I'll bet he is licking his chops to coach for the Browns, his former team and his former rival. This guy has a chance to do something no other coach has ever done and that is coach both teams that make up the greatest rivalry in the NFL. If he can make the Browns a winner again or dare I say a Super Bowl winner, he would undoubtedly be the greatest coach EVER. And if you think he wouldn't like the idea of walking into Pittsburgh wearing the brown and orange to show off what he can still do as a coach, then you must think the guy isn't human or full of emotion. And after watching Cowher for years, you know he is full of emotion. As far as the whole "he doesn't want to disrespect the Rooneys?" This is football, not tidily wings. The Rooneys won't disrespect him any less and he knows that. I expect Cowher is itching to coach again and I expect Cowher to walk the sidelines next year for the Browns.
"If I put something here that offends Bud, he tattles on me", ..
Posted 06:23 PM, 11/30/2008
Revised 11/20 post:
1. Start Jerome Harrison at RB
2. Start Joshua Cribbs at WR
3. Cut Braylon "Baby" Edwards (Wants out of Clev. (again)/intentional drops)
4. Cut Jamal "One-Way Road-Grader" Lewis (free-up salary )
5. Implement West Coast Offense
6. Hire Jake's Crane to remove Large Sh*t Bag from Browns Stadium; Frog march Phil Savage from Browns Staduim during Half-Time festivities
7. RANDY LERNER: Fly to wherever Cowher is, hand him a blank check giving him full reign, then fly back to London and stay there until (see #9)
8. Rent Barge on Lake Erie to float out Cowher's "weed-outs" to an undisclosed destination for burial at sea.
9. Make Super-Bowl preparations by 2011.
P.S. There's another Large Sh*t Bag operating at Notre Dame posing as a Head Coach with identical ties as the Browns' Large Sh*t Bag. Rule #1: All Belichick disciples are not automatically qualified to be Head Coaches on any level.
Posted 05:18 AM, 12/01/2008
Last year the Browns got to play two bad divisions, the AFC east and the NFC west. They still could not stop anyone, yet won 10. This year they got the two best divisions in football probably, and an improved Baltimore team, and the record is not a surprise, sorry to dumb Cleveland fans out there, I love the Browns but our fans are idiots.
Comments on the above:
West Coast Offense? Why? Quinn ran pro style at ND, the Browns dont seem built for that either. Offensively the Browns are not too far off, a few pieces here and there, and they can be a good team offensively. Anyone successful in the NFL right now is stretching the field and power running, hence you dont get rid of a back that carried for 1400 last year for a smaller less durable guy. Guys like Lewis dont come around that often.
Why Cowher exactly? Pittsburgh always did a good job developing talent, or is it scouting talent? Either way how involved was he in that capacity, they seem to still be plugging along and getting players without him. I also wonder how much of his success is coaching the Arizona Cardinals right now. He was a hall of fame coach, but until his one Superbowl win he was a coach that couldn't win the big game, and couldn't beat New England in the playoffs, even at home with a 15-1 team. I agree with the one above poster, interview Billick, who we couldn't get prior to 99, he was a hell of a coach who won without a lot of offensive talent in Baltimore besides Ogden and Lewis.
Posted 10:45 AM, 12/01/2008
Well, let's clear something up. Steelers-Browns is NOT the greatest rivalry in the NFL. The Browns were a good franchise, now they're in the same conversation as the Cincinnati Bengals. When one franchise has 5 Super Bowl titles, and the other has never even been there, that's not the greatest rivalry.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:27 PM, 12/01/2008
Aren't we on plan F by now?
Posted 02:50 PM, 12/01/2008
Offer the job to Cowher. If he turns it down, bring back Marty Ball. Yeah I know, the guy has a horrible record in the playoffs, but he consistently gets his teams to that level which is a lot more than what we can say for this franchise since 1999. He will fix that mess that we call a defense here.
Posted 04:50 PM, 12/01/2008
"Posted by Michael 12:27 PM, 12/01/2008
Aren't we on plan F by now?"
My thoughts exaclty, this week should be hilarious!
Posted 08:25 PM, 12/01/2008
If the Browns hire Cowher, I will definitely burn my Brown's jersy and cap..
I know what is wrong with the Browns....in 1999 the owners made a big mistake, they should have renamed the team, and started anew....it is too late now....all the teams remember the old arrogant heavy handed Browns, and they enjoy killing the Browns every Sunday....they beat the Giants this year because maybe there was a behind the door understanding to let the Browns win one...
Akron, OH
Posted 08:07 AM, 12/02/2008
Peter... you're a moron.
