Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Mangina!

Per Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com, Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. We'll have a full story on this in the next day or so but allow me to give you my initial reactions:

1. Hiring a head coach in the NFL seems like a complete crapshoot. There does not appear to be any rhyme or reason as to why some hires work out well and others don't. Actually, wait; I do remember seeing one study hypothesizing that roster talent or a lack thereof is actually the the most important factor underlying coaching success and/or failure. I think we need more research on this possible correlation before we jump to any hasty conclusions.

2. Glad to see the Browns went the logical route and let their new GM pick the head coach. Or not.

3. Apparently our new GM is going to be George Kokinis. I'd use an exclamation point here but I don't want to mislead you. I have no idea who the hell this guy is. The fact that I'd never heard of him before a week ago is not a good sign in my book.

4. I can't wait to hear Randy Lerner tell us how great he is for managing to wrangle a coach that nobody else seemed to want to touch with a 10 foot pole. And way to do your due dilligence and interview everyone before making a rash decision Randy. God forbid we don't have a coach in place for the Super Bowl.

5. I'm thrilled that we've hired another coach with no media skills to keep the tradition of Belichick, Davis, and Crennel alive. Get ready for a few more years of being talked down to at awesome press conferences Cleveland fans and media.

6. Sadly, my dream of Kirk Ferentz becomming our new coach has been shattered. How does a struggling NFL franchise just ignore a perfectly medoicore big-ten coach!? Your guess is as good as mine. I thought the move had Browns written all over it.

If you couldn't tell, I'm bitter today. You better not lose tonight Cavs.

10 comments:

Art Brosef said...

Its a crap shoot to be sure.

Its interesting though that this is the first time theve hired a coach with actual head coaching experience,IN THE HISTORY OF THE FRANCHISE.

What coach could they have hired that wouldnt have made you bitter? And dont say Cowher, he was never coming here. Did you really want to the coordinator route again? College coach?

Plenty of coaches have been fired and been successful at later gigs....(Belicheck, Gruden, Dungy, etc.)

Im not saying its a great hire, but I dont think a horrible one either.

Obviously only time will tell.

Biff said...

The thing that scares me is that nobody else wanted ANY PART OF THIS GUY? Why? We're talking about a coach with two winning seasons in 3 years and yet every franchise with a vacancy has treated him like the plague?

I know the Browns. They fuck stuff up for a living. I just have this sinking suspicion that every other NFL franchise is secretly laughing and pointing right now.

I don't know though. Maybe its just paranoia. On paper, this was probably the best hire they could've made.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why nobody else wanted him (assuming it is true). Experience as a head coach. 2 out of 3 winning record.

Sure he collapsed at the end of this year, but that is on Favre.

The spygate thing. I applaud him for turning in the cheater and doing what was best for his team.

Anonymous said...

The only thing is, those other coaches who were better the second time around returned to the ranks of the assistants before getting another HC gig. Mangina was just fired a week ago... he hasn't had time to digest his mistakes and adjust his philosophy.

Lerner wanted to hire somebody ASAFP to go back into hiding and not be seen for another four years. He did not hire nor appear to take advice from anybody with experience consulting or hiring NFL coaches, didn't interview many candidates, and moved like lightning to hire the one candidate that no other team would touch with a ten-foot pole.

Mangini may work out. As a Browns fan, I hope he does. But it will be through dumb luck and not intelligent planning on the part of our buffoon of an owner.

Biff said...

Spot on man. I couldn't agree more.

Anonymous said...

anon said:
"The spygate thing. I applaud him for turning in the cheater and doing what was best for his team."
--------
You mean the cheating that he partook in and parlayed into a head coaching job for himself? Yes, very honorable...

Art Brosef said...

Nobody is doubting Lerners incompetence as an owner...

It is curious that nobody else wanted this guy. But my only point is lets not just bitch just to bitch....on paper its a reasonable hire, lets see how it works out.

Were we all gonna rant and rave if they hired Josh McDaniels? Kirk Ferentz?

I totally disagree Lerner hired someone ASAFP so he can dissapear. While he clearly stays out of site, I believe he truly does care, I just think he truly doesnt know what hes doing.

If the next regime he brings in cant pull us out of this black hole in reasonably short order, he should be required to sell the team.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Art, in that I'm willing to withhold judgment on Mangini, and it's not productive bitching just to bitch...

I'm just *so* disappointed that Randolph ignored the opportunity to establish an organizational identity here. I'm fine with him being an out-of-sight owner, but that only works if he puts qualified people in place in the form of experienced football executives--the guys who should be making coaching hires in his stead.

This is a man who doesn't learn from his mistakes, and while he certainly seems to know that he's not a qualified football person, is unwilling to consult those who are on such a major decision.

I will be a happy man the day he finally sells the team...

Art Brosef said...

Could not agree more....

Mr. Rose said...

I'm personally indifferent to the hiring.

I'm curious Biff - who wanted to be the head coach?

Also, did you see Lerner didn't even attend the press conference today to announce the hire (as per WFNY)