Gruden rumors heating up

[OconRecon]

Jon Gruden To Cleveland Browns: Talks Heat Up in The Wake of Week 15 Loss
By Daniel Wolf

As to be expected, the Cleveland Browns rumor mill is starting to churn with the possibility of a coaching change and the No. 1 name at the top of nearly every Browns fan's (and Mike Holmgren's) list is Jon Gruden.

Gruden's name is being heard around the Browns and it is being reported by National Football Post that is would take about $7 million per year to bring the former Super Bowl-winning coach to the Lake Erie coast.

A childhood fan of the Browns, Gruden grew up in Sandusky, OH which is approximately 45 minutes west of Cleveland.

Both Gruden and Holmgren go back to their time with both the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers.


Gruden was the quarterbacks coach for the Niners and he was directly under Holmgren, who was the offensive coordinator in 1990.


Is a Holmgren/Gruden reunion in store for the Cleveland Browns in 2011? Chances are higher than ever now.

When Holmgren left to be the head coach of the Packers in 1992, he brought Gruden with him until 1994, when Gruden left for the Philadelphia Eagles to be the offensive coordinator under another former Holmgren student, Ray Rhodes, who was the Eagles head coach.

It seems like everything is coming around full circle once again, now that current Browns head coach Eric Mangini has lost two straight games to struggling teams in the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills.

Gruden may be a part of ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage, but like in any other contract situation, there are usually exit clauses that allow a former coach to leave his television job to go back to the sideline otherwise coaches wouldn't take the television job in the first place.

National Football Post has also reported that the Browns are the only destination that Gruden wants to go to when he goes back into coaching and it looks like he desperately wants to not only coach his childhood team but work for Holmgren who is the reason Gruden found success at many different levels in the NFL in the first place.

There are still some Browns fans that are hesitant of a Gruden hiring, but do not be surprised if the one who many refer to as "Chucky" is back on the sideline with a headset on barking at Browns players and referees in 2011.

Though Gruden will have to replace his collection of visors for warmer hats during Cleveland winters

Dawg Scooper: A Cleveland Browns News Source (Not a Blog): Jon Gruden To Cleveland Browns: Talks Heat Up in The Wake of Week 15 Loss

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A lot of speculation with little facts. More of a "it just makes sense for these reasons" type of article. All just rumors for sure and I've yet to decide which way I'm rooting.

[hiwaygal]

I'll be pissed, but what can ya do? We aren't Mike Holmgren.

[PlaygroundLegend]

[hiwaygal]

You did that on purpose PGL!!!!!

[Greythan]

Its not that I'll be pissed.

Its that it better work. I'm just not seeing an epidemic of under achievement this year which is the usual rationale for a coaching change. Sure, the last two weeks feel like games against teams that the "Patriot/Saint beating Browns" should have won.

But then how would we feel if we'd been 3-9 going into these past two games (i.e., we'd lost to the Pats/Saints) and won them both to have the same record we have today. Better? Worse? We'd be riding a four game winning streak and the talk of the town would be how Mangini was rallying the troops for the annual December run.

Who knows.

We have to trust in Holmgren as the top executive. We really don't have any other choice.

[Legendary]

Have Cleveland had a superbowl winning coach coaching the team. Apart from Bill who left for Patroits.

[DawgFan]

Originally Posted by Legendary

Have Cleveland had a superbowl winning coach coaching the team. Apart from Bill who left for Patroits.

Quick factoid....

Five coaches have taken 2 different teams TO the Superbowl (Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves. Dick Vermeil)...

BUT...

No Coach has ever won the Superbowl with two different teams.

Just sayin'...lightning rarely strikes twice!

[Neo]

I must admit I am not in love with the idea of Gruden coming here, but if Mangini gets fired is there a better option? Gruden has Superbowl winning experience and so does Cowher, but Cowher is not coming here. The other thing that makes Gruden more attractive is that he can develop Colt McCoy. The thing that I don't like about him is that he is a "Tampa 2" guy on defense. Will that conflict with Rob Ryan's scheme if he is still here?

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by Legendary

Have Cleveland had a superbowl winning coach coaching the team. Apart from Bill who left for Patroits.

I think some Browns fans forget that we never canned Bill Belichick. His coaching years here were from 1991-1995, and of course we had no football for the 96, 97 and 98 seasons. We did not fire him. Subsequently we dumped Chris Palmer and Romeo Crenell (Butch Davis quit mid-season.)

So while we have had many turnovers in the front office/coaching staff, what we have never had is a holdover front office hiring in a new coach, other than I believe Butch Davis being hired by Policy (I think). This is not the same story we have been through before. Firing Mangini is not the same thing as also firing Holmgren and Heckert along with him. That is not what is going to happen.

It has been a roller coaster ride this season in the way the team plays and the intensity on the field. It is not just because we lack talent either. It is a combination of the staff and the roster.

But you cannot tell me losing two weeks in a row to teams with 2 wins in 13 games this season does not have an effect on the players and also the decision to retain Mangini. All I hear is how we have the toughest schedule in the NFL, but how does this explain the losses the last two weeks.

Eric Mangini is a coach that may find success again. He may be staying here with the Browns. But I don't think his weak style of offense jives with Mike Holmgren.

We do not have a strong side of the ball. You'd think with his background that our defense would be a lot better. That isn't happening.

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by DawgFan

Just sayin'...lightning rarely strikes twice!

We're not relying on "lightening" or luck, or hope. You do not get to the Super Bowl by chance.

[sofakingwhat]

Originally Posted by DawgFan

Quick factoid....

Five coaches have taken 2 different teams TO the Superbowl (Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves. Dick Vermeil)...

BUT...

No Coach has ever won the Superbowl with two different teams.

Just sayin'...lightning rarely strikes twice!

I disagree but would keep Mangini.
Roy Cleveland Sullivan (February 7, 1912 – September 28, 1983) was a U.S. park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 and 1977, Sullivan was hit by lightning on seven different occasions and survived all of them. For this reason, he gained a nickname "Human Lightning Conductor" or "Human Lightning Rod". Sullivan is recognized by Guinness World Records as the person struck by lightning more recorded times than any other human being. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 71 over an unrequited love.[1][2

[DawgFan]

I keep seeing comments about how Gruden can develop McCoy...

Can someone please point out the QB that Gruden groomed? Here is a look at his QB's:

1998 Jeff George
1999-2001 Rich Gannon
2002-2004 Brad Johnson - 8yr vet
2005 Brian Griese and Chris Simms
2006 Bruce Gradkowski
2007-2008 Jeff Garcia

Either journeymen or flops to my eyes.