<![CDATA[Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach]]>http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/...head_coach.html

BEREA -- Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been named the Browns' fifth head coach since they returned as an expansion franchise in 1999.

In doing so, Browns President Mike Holmgren is retracing the path which led him to his first NFL head coaching job in Green Bay 19 years ago.

Shurmur was never a head coach at any level. But like Holmgren and his many eventual coaching proteges, Shurmur learned the NFL game as a quarterbacks coach and then as a coordinator in the pass-first offensive system now commonly referred to as the West Coast offense.

Others who followed the path paved by Holmgren include Steve Mariucci, Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg and Brad Childress. Jon Gruden started as a receivers coach before ascending to coordinator and then head coach. Of those, only Mornhinweg failed to reached the playoffs as an NFL head coach.

Shurmur, 45, never worked with Holmgren, but learned his offensive system under Reid in Philadelphia for 10 years -- the last seven as Eagles quarterbacks coach. For eight of those years, Browns General Manager Tom Heckert held various titles as the head of the Eagles' player personnel department.

Shurmur's connections to Holmgren stretch farther. He is the nephew of the late Fritz Shurmur, who was Holmgren's defensive coordinator in Green Bay for five seasons in the 1990s. Shurmur also shares the same agent, Bob LaMonte, as Holmgren and Heckert and numerous other branches of the Holmgren coaching tree.

Shurmur left the Eagles in 2009 to become coordinator in St. Louis under former Eagles defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. They were members of Reid's initial coaching staff in Philadelphia in 1999.

When Shurmur arrived in St. Louis, the Rams were coming off a 2-14 season and their offense ranked 27th. In 2009, they fell to 1-15 and the offense dipped to 29th. The arrival of quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 choice in the 2010 draft had an instant impact. With Bradford starting every game, the Rams improved to 7-9 and their offensive ranking inched up to 26th.

Like the Browns, the Rams were hampered by an inexperienced receiving corps after injuries wiped out veterans Donnie Avery and Mark Clayton. They were 26th in points with 289 -- five notches ahead of the Browns (31st), who had 271. The Rams' 21 giveaways were eight fewer than the Browns' 29.

Shurmur received some criticism for play selection in the Rams' season-ending 16-6 loss to Seattle, which cost the Rams a spot in the playoffs as NFC West champion. In that game, Rams 1,200-yard running back Steve Jackson carried the ball only 11 times for 45 yards. He had only four rushing attempts in the second half. The Rams had seven possessions in the second half and none longer than six plays.

Shurmur, a native of Dearborn, Mich., was a three-year starter at center for Michigan State University in the late 1980s. He returned to the school in 1990 to launch his coaching career and coached tight ends, special teams and assisted on the offensive line for a span of eight years. He worked under former Browns defensive coordinator Nick Saban the last five years.

Shurmur moved to Stanford University in 1998 as offensive line coach before joining Reid in Philadelphia in 1999 as tight ends coach.

Reid named Shurmur quarterbacks coach in 2002. In that role through 2009, he was position coach for Eagles quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Koy Detmer, Jeff Garcia, and Kevin Kolb.

Shurmur is the first Browns head coach with purely an offensive background since Chris Palmer in 1999. He represents a final break from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, which spawned the Browns' last two coaches, Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel.

When he launched the search to replace Mangini, Holmgren tipped off his intentions when he said, "I can get real excited about finding a young guy and having him take the ball and go with it."

Holmgren also said it would be "a pretty wide search ... we're not limiting ourselves in any way."

But only three candidates were formally interviewed. Shurmur was the first, following by Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh turned down the Browns' invitation for an interview before he accepted the 49ers head coach job. Also, Gruden, who was considered a hot candidate before the search began because of his history with Holmgren, never was interviewed and said he would return to the ESPN announcing booth in 2011.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/topic/18435/pat-shurmur-hired-as-new-cleveland-browns-head-coachRSS for NodeThu, 01 Oct 2026 10:45:45 GMTThu, 13 Jan 2011 17:43:36 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:26:00 GMT]]>

@brownb499 said:

I'm just not convinced we can beat those two defenses consistently with the WCO...Holmgren is...and his vote is the only one that counts

I have the same qualms.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224275https://brownsboard.com/post/224275Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:26:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 06:30:54 GMT]]>

@junkyard-dawg said:

How is firing the HC after year two only to replace him with the first candidate to come along ANY different than what we've done? The only thing that's changed is instead of Lerner falling in love with the first guy off the Belichick tree now Holmgrens popping viagra and rubbing one off to the first candidate off the Andy Reid tree to come along.

Yet this is exactly what you're applauding, the same ole same ole yet again.

Yeah who cares what Pitt does. Nevermind they regularly win our division, nevermind the 6 Lombardis, rarely going through multiple losing seasons and nevermind the fact they haven't had to rebuild in FOURTY YEARS. Who cares about that model of success? Who cares about the Ravens constantly winning and giving Pitt nightmares? Not like we could ohh I don't know, see what separates those two teams from the pack.

Uhhh Stoolers football? That IS Browns football. Who do you think Chuck Noll modeled his system after? His mentor Paul Brown. Where'd Cowher come from again? What's that? Cleveland as a player AND assistant? Learned from Marty who was the last coach here to have any success?

The Steelers have rebuilt within the last 40 yrs, I remember a nice 51-0 or something beating we gave them in the early 90s, Cowher was hired soon after I believe. They have rebuilt before. Also Shurmur isn't the first guy from the Reid tree either. Shurmur isn't a sexy pick but who cares about that. We should care about wins, lets see what he can do before you pass judgement on him or Holmgrens decision.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224268https://brownsboard.com/post/224268Sat, 15 Jan 2011 06:30:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:47:56 GMT]]>now comes the pressure on holmgren... the whole front office is his people. i dont know why but im cautiously optimistic.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224201https://brownsboard.com/post/224201Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:47:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:45:33 GMT]]>Holmgren and Heckert looked like they were attending a funeral, we need more pizazz than that!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224199https://brownsboard.com/post/224199Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:45:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:29:21 GMT]]>

@brownb499 said:

Pittsburgh is the mountain we must climb... until we build a team to beat Pittsburgh consistently we wont win shit!

Ozzie gets this...he drafts players and hires coaches to neutralize what Pittsburgh brings...thats why they compete with the Steelers year in and year out

Does Heckert understand this? I think he does, Philly has a similar situation with Dallas and New York

I'm just not convinced we can beat those two defenses consistently with the WCO...Holmgren is...and thats what counts

Lets do something different. When the WCO offense is successful here in cleveland, the steelers and ravens will have to build there team to compete with us.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224192https://brownsboard.com/post/224192Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:29:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:27:50 GMT]]>

@585dawg said:

And one other thing... who gives a xxxx how pitt or balt do things!!!! I'm sick of always hearing about how we need to be like them.. eff them!! Let's play BROWNS football and get at it already!!

GO BROWNS

Pittsburgh is the mountain we've got to climb... until we build a team to beat Pittsburgh consistently we wont win shit!

Ozzie gets this...he drafts players and hires coaches to neutralize what Pittsburgh brings...thats why they compete with the Steelers year in and year out

Does Heckert understand this? I think he does, Philly has a similar situation with Dallas and New York

I'm just not convinced we can beat those two defenses consistently with the WCO...Holmgren is...and his vote is the only one that counts

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224188https://brownsboard.com/post/224188Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:27:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:49:05 GMT]]>For god's sake people, let's just see how this plays out.. Holmgren was brought here to change the frachise, which just about everyone was thrilled with, so let the man do his job!! Heckert is a hell of GM and I have total faith that Holmgren and Heckert made the choice they wanted.. Plus, it really doesn't matter what we think anyway.. we are all just along for the ride! Look, what we have done in the past has NOT worked.. so let's try something dfferent! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. I for one won't make judgement either way on this hire until I see what's happening on the field. And one other thing... who gives a xxxx how pitt or balt do things!!!! I'm sick of always hearing about how we need to be like them.. eff them!! Let's play BROWNS football and get at it already!!

GO BROWNS

EDIT: this is the first time I can recall that FO and coaches will ALL be on the same page!

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224183https://brownsboard.com/post/224183Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:49:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:33:39 GMT]]>Greg Brady has aids.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224178https://brownsboard.com/post/224178Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:33:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:23:28 GMT]]>anyone else think shurmur looks like greg brady?

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224175https://brownsboard.com/post/224175Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:23:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:04:30 GMT]]>so how about when rob ryan gets hired as the oakland raiders head coach and they go 11-5 next year? i guess he was the coaching genius we all missed out on, huh? or maybe he was just handed a half-way decent team you shineholes.]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/224153https://brownsboard.com/post/224153Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:04:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:31:30 GMT]]>

@junkyard-dawg said:

And the WCO hasn't been effective where it counts since Montana, Young and Elway retired and people learned how to stop Favre.

Every team uses variations of it... Teams use the fundamentals and basics of it. The Patriots are very WCO imo.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223884https://brownsboard.com/post/223884Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:31:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:09:17 GMT]]>

Surf and Turf said:

Mike Holmgren is 62 years old and has already wasted a year with Mangini. Holmgren will retire in 2-3 years and he is hiring his buddies to slurp the money off of that the dumbass owner - Lerner - who pays for over the hill players and coaches.

Pat Shurmur? that name just sounds gay. Pat will never be able to win in the AFC North.

Is he related to Pat from Saturday Night Live?

High Fives everyone for picking a coach that no one else would hire. The demand for Pat was non-existent. Only a team like the Browns would hire a west coast offensive coordinator as a head coach to play against the defensive minded and league leading Steelers and Ravens D.

Shurmur? he is riding the coat tails of Holmgren who made his name under Ron Wolf.

I dunno about that. I have a lot of steeler friends that say that this was good hire. He's young, but he's feisty and has fire in his belly. BTW, the WCO offense was designed to beat the zone blitz which was created ironically by the steelers very own d-coordinator in Dick Lebeau.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223854https://brownsboard.com/post/223854Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:09:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:16:03 GMT]]>Mike Holmgren is 62 years old and has already wasted a year with Mangini. Holmgren will retire in 2-3 years and he is hiring his buddies to slurp the money off of that the dumbass owner - Lerner - who pays for over the hill players and coaches.

Pat Shurmur? that name just sounds gay. Pat will never be able to win in the AFC North.

Is he related to Pat from Saturday Night Live?

High Fives everyone for picking a coach that no one else would hire. The demand for Pat was non-existent. Only a team like the Browns would hire a west coast offensive coordinator as a head coach to play against the defensive minded and league leading Steelers and Ravens D.

Shurmur? he is riding the coat tails of Holmgren who made his name under Ron Wolf.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223840https://brownsboard.com/post/223840Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:16:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:56:18 GMT]]>

@miktoxic said:

do you think our players to "have and to hold" will be affected by the new coaching staff? is ryan gone (i haven't heard any confirmation yet)? and who that we have will be best if we change from the 3-4 to 4-3? asking cuz i don't know about these things.

This is what I don't like about switching to the 4-3. We only need a few more players to reach a top 10 level defense, and now we might just throw it in the trash and start over. Although, if we do change, this is the season. We have enough older players leaving (i.e. Bowens, hopefully) and emerging players staying (i.e. Rubin) that if we change it will happen now. I just hope it doesn't, especially if we go WR in the first round of the draft.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223836https://brownsboard.com/post/223836Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:56:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:44:53 GMT]]>Nonplussed about this hire, if Holmgren was going to bring in an inexperienced coordinator he should have done it a year ago. 2010 is pretty much wasted, whether we like it or not this is a rebuilding year as the new coach starts to find his own players just like Mangini found his. Secondly I'm not too enthusiastic about installing WCO in the AFC North, it relies too much on precise timing which is difficult to execute with LeBeau's and the Ravens defenses in your face 4 times/yr.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223832https://brownsboard.com/post/223832Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:44:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:44:39 GMT]]>QUOTE (calfoxwc @ Jan 13 2011, 07:56 PM)

The fact that Shumur is an OFFENSIVE experienced HC... is great.

why?

***********************

Because I've had my fill of defensive coaches when our offense needs the most help, and has

been failing the most. Look at the scores of most of this past season...

**********************

QUOTE (calfoxwc @ Jan 13 2011, 07:56 PM)

Holmgren and Heckert know so much more than a lot of folks - even in the NFL,

that this new hc should have everybody optimistic bigtime.

really?? i believe in heckerts player picks more than fat boy's skills as of recent years.

**********************

The Browns have had a few fine drafts with so many needs. But that doesn't mean that mistakes won't be made.

It isn't a perfect science. There is a lot more to football than draft picks.

*****************************

QUOTE (calfoxwc @ Jan 13 2011, 07:56 PM)

This next year depends on how RT, #1 WR, and the pass rush is handled in the draft and/or FA.

agree

QUOTE (calfoxwc @ Jan 13 2011, 07:56 PM)

because the list of dire needs is pretty short, unlike the really long list in the past.

and if you believe that then what head coach do you have to thank??

************************

Yes, I thank Mangini. But that doesn't mean he handled 2 minute drills with any sense, and doesn't mean he didn't go for a field goal

when behind by two touchdowns, and it doesn't mean I'm happy with Eric Wright playing ahead of Haden. Had Haden played the entire year,

he could have excelled overall in the year, and saved the Browns from those TD's that Wright gave up.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223831https://brownsboard.com/post/223831Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:44:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:43:48 GMT]]>

Copper said:

I agree, I just said that we had no pass rush.

They have a better front seven. By a long shot. But our defense does have Pro Bowl calibre players to build on. We're just two or three players from having a good stop unit.

do you think our players to "have and to hold" will be affected by the new coaching staff? is ryan gone (i haven't heard any confirmation yet)? and who that we have will be best if we change from the 3-4 to 4-3? asking cuz i don't know about these things.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223830https://brownsboard.com/post/223830Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:43:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:34:18 GMT]]>

@miktoxic said:

we had no pass rush from anyone except when we bltzed a cb or linebacker. giants have de's and dl's that have been known for years and a couple of their linebackers are household names. no argument. just saying.

I agree, I just said that we had no pass rush.

They have a better front seven. By a long shot. But our defense does have Pro Bowl calibre players to build on. We're just two or three players from having a good stop unit.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223827https://brownsboard.com/post/223827Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:34:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:21:44 GMT]]>

Copper said:

What? You asked me to give you someone on our defense that could be a frequent pro-bowler calibre player. I did. But, no, comparison implies that we have a pass rush.

we had no pass rush from anyone except when we bltzed a cb or linebacker. giants have de's and dl's that have been known for years and a couple of their linebackers are household names. no argument. just saying.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223821https://brownsboard.com/post/223821Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:21:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:18:09 GMT]]>

@calfoxwc said:

The fact that Shumur is an OFFENSIVE experienced HC... is great.

why?

@calfoxwc said:

Holmgren and Heckert know so much more than a lot of folks - even in the NFL,

that this new hc should have everybody optimistic bigtime.

really?? i believe in heckerts player picks more than fat boy's skills as of recent years.

@calfoxwc said:

This next year depends on how RT, #1 WR, and the pass rush is handled in the draft and/or FA.

agree

@calfoxwc said:

because the list of dire needs is pretty short, unlike the really long list in the past.

and if you believe that then what head coach do you have to thank??

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223820https://brownsboard.com/post/223820Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:18:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:04:12 GMT]]>

@miktoxic said:

pass rush (in comparison)???

What? You asked me to give you someone on our defense that could be a frequent pro-bowler calibre player. I did. But, no, comparison implies that we have a pass rush.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223812https://brownsboard.com/post/223812Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:04:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:01:35 GMT]]>I like the hire of Shurmur. Now we need some REAL Coordinators, especially Defense Coordinator. I think that our having 2 highly knowledgeable football guys running things will help. The teams they came from were successful on BOTH sides of the ball, so I have to believe they'll be looking for solid Assistants. I am really confident that we will see a much more balanced Brown's Team on the field.

Nice to see "fresh blood" who came from years of learning from winners coming here to Cleveland.

Mike

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223810https://brownsboard.com/post/223810Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:01:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:59:37 GMT]]>I like the hire of Shurmur. Now we need some REAL Coordinators, especially Defense Coordinator. I think that our having 2 highly knowledgeable football guys running things will help. The teams they came from were successful on BOTH sides of the ball, so I have to believe they'll be looking for solid Assistants. I am really confident that we will see a much more balanced Brown's Team on the field.

Nice to see "fresh blood" who came from years of learning from winners coming here to Cleveland.

Mike

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223809https://brownsboard.com/post/223809Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:59:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Pat Shurmur Hired As New Cleveland Browns Head Coach on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:56:57 GMT]]>

Copper said:

Rubin could be a Pro-Bowler. Same with Haden if he had started the whole year. Heck, maybe even a vet type guy like Fujita minus the injury.

We don't have any depth so, until we get some, any pro-bowl calibre players we may or may not have will be impossible to spot because of our all too frquent injuries limiting them to less than a full season of healthy play.

pass rush (in comparison)???

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/223807https://brownsboard.com/post/223807Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:56:57 GMT