@the-gipper said:

I was thinking of Henry Hill......the guy from Goodfellas. (but he is now deceased)

You missed the one clue comparing analytics to the think system.

WSS

@westside-steve said:

I was thinking of Henry Hill......the guy from Goodfellas. (but he is now deceased)

WSS

@westside-steve said:

Anybody have to google Harold Hill?

Isn't he from Gary, Indiana?

WSS

@kvoethe said:

After wikiing Szell, i found that remark hilarious, as well as learning something new.

Thank you WSS.

Thank you sir.

WSS

Thank you WSS.

Finally after years we have George Szell reference.

I just hired me a general manager feller named Harold Hill ironically, who has a brand new way to hire musicians. Its called the think system. We're looking for a conductor. Hello... Hello... Dee I think I dropped the call"

WSS

@flugel said:

Very good post Mud. That's a great explanation of why none of the rock star candidates want to bury their careers in Cleveland. The only nitpick I have is your point about zero experienced NFL vets at any positions.

I think Mud was still referring to "coaching positions".

Vet players can help a young staff members, but there are so many new things from running practices for maximum efficiency to developing personal leadership styles that "rookie" coaches have to discover that the cumulative load of a nearly all-rookie staff is great.

@canton-mike said:

My avatar.

That is also my answer

@mudfly said:

Very good post Mud. That's a great explanation of why none of the rock star candidates want to bury their careers in Cleveland. The only nitpick I have is your point about zero experienced NFL vets at any positions. Dansby, McCown, Whitner, Tramon Williams, Barnidge, Hartline, Hawkins, Starks, Kruger, Lee and others were brought here with a lot of experience. In addition, we already had veterans here like Mack, Thomas, Greco, Schwartz, Hughes, Bryant & Bryant, Haden, Benjamin, Robertson, etc. I will admit injuries complicated all that quite a bit in 2015; but we got off to a 7-4 start in 2014 despite an enormous injury volume most likely because of the amount of veterans we looked to.

FWIW, maybe a position coach is more apt to stress the basic fundamentals of football that were completely MIA in 2015 from shedding blocks to making tackles in particular. If one hits with his helmet, he's more apt to get a concussion right? Well, take a look at how many concussions we had on our defense that was one of the worst units I've ever seen at tackling. That's a fundamental gone wrong that might work well with some type of Harvard formula/analytical evaluation not just during the season with who's already on the roster - but with a scouting department looking for what's missing. Did ANYONE have to teach Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis, or Ed Reed how to kill the guy with the ball or elude blockers in the first place? No, so their coaches didn't have to waste time on Dr Frankensteining a PROFESSIONAL into someone that might not ever be capable regardless of how many lessons (ie; Mingo). An offensive version of this would be Greg Little and the whole "we're gonna TEACH him how to catch the ball" so we can stop leading the conference in dropped passes for 2 consecutive years. The other Ohio team took AJ Green who had a lot of film getting open and catching passes in the SEC right before we kicked Julio Jones off our doorstep so we could take a DT with a Ferris Buller work ethic.

Head Coaches end up being convenient scapegoats for a crummy front office incapable of identifying red flags like doesn't tackle well at all (ie; Justin Gilbert, Bark Mingo), can't shed blocks vrs point of attack (ie; Bark Mingo, Courtney Brown, Beau Bell) or can't catch (ie: Quincy Morgan, Greg Little, Vince Mayle). Somebody in our front office needs to know the difference between professional football and youth football. If bad traits are on film - you're asking your coaching staff to be miracle workers instead of guys that sharpen/refine tools and fundamentals that are already there. Last year's coaching staff needed an exorcist, magician, voodoo specialist, miracle worker, Nurse Ratched, drug and alcohol counselor, case manager because of the shitsies we draftsies...

The Head Coach doesn't have to be a Coordinator if the front office gets the right guys. At 1 time the Rooneys had to make a decision on who stays and who sprays between Bill Cowher and Tom Donahoe as their work relationship became a War of the Roses. They kept Cowher and made the appropriate upgrade in the FO. In doing so, that would eventually set up easy street for a position coach Tomlin to take over after Cowher retired and get that team back to the Superbowl. John Harbaugh's first NFL was being a strength coach before he went on to being a STs Coordinator. The Head Coach needs to hire the Coordinators for the X's and O's strategies and fundamentals so he can oversee all 3 phases as strange as it is to type such a well duh it IS Cleveland we're talking about.

As for the next BB pupil after Charlie Weis, Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel and Josh McDaniels - what happens when they no longer have BB's experience and know-how evaluating/guiding them daily and weekly? Different outcomes with no parachutes? Been there and done that twice right? I'm more open to a position coach candidate for this HC job than I've ever been.

We'll see.

Mike

@beare said:

http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/report-chip-kelly-visited-alabama-coaching-staff-010716

this is strange could saban be headed to pros and kelly to alabama

More like Lane Kiffin is jobless and Kelly is their OC.

The San Jose Mercury News reports Bengals OC Hue Jackson is the "clear front-runner" for the 49ers' head-coach job.

this is strange could saban be headed to pros and kelly to alabama

@browns1216 said:

Right.....they may or may not hire en experienced coach..

Honestly....Im more worried about his staff, who will be the guys actually "coaching".....ala teaching technique, tackling etc, as well as the coordinators who will be game planning and actually calling the plays.....

Thats where I think we get hurt by lack of experience......and I also think head coach gets way more discussion, but is actually the one coach who really isnt coaching much....(maybe coaching coaches, but not players)....

So....bring me a veteran staff.....or a veteran GM.....or, ideally....BOTH

@tour2ma said:

An advisor would be nice, but Chud had experience in both his OCs and in the end he lost the locker room.

Makes me wonder about analytics role, if any, in the coaching searches at all levels.

Yeah....Chud.....now I think he had the type of staff that really would be helpful for a rookie HC....those types of guys could help avoid a lot of technical, game time and strategic errors...

And, yeah, he lost the locker room.....but I just think Chud wasnt a strong leader and that was the reason.....certainly it wasnt due to him having an experienced staff.....

Analytics for a coach???....possible.....wonder what the variables would be?

@mudfly said:

My only concern is that they bring in some real experience.......which was completely missing from the last group....

An advisor would be nice, but Chud had experience in both his OCs and in the end he lost the locker room.

I'll take football IQ and communication skills even if it is inexperienced. If those skills can ripple through the staff all the way from the HC to the Asst. Position Coaches, I'd like our chances.

Makes me wonder about analytics role, if any, in the coaching searches at all levels.

@mudfly said:

I see your point about experience, but I don't think we can realistically expect an experienced coach to come here. Maybe Marrone? I don't know, it is very difficult to completely turn around an organization in 2 years, and I don't see an experienced, successful head coach coming here to get fired. Maybe all of these numbers guys Haslam has been bringing in will take some pressure off of the learning curve for a new coach. Who knows though, knowing the Browns they will find some dark horse candidate no one has heard of and make him (or her?????) the new head coach.

@bbedward said: