Cleveland Browns complete their first coaching staff under Pat Shurmur

[BernietheKid]

Cleveland Browns complete their first coaching staff under Pat Shurmur

Published: Monday, February 14, 2011, 5:46 PM Updated: Monday, February 14, 2011, 5:55 PM

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND -- The Browns rounded out their coaching staff Monday with the addition of three assistants to the position coaches and two senior assistants.
They also confirmed the coaches that have been retained, as previously reported.

The newcomers are Chris Beake (Offensive Assistant), Chuck Bullough (Defensive Assistant), Shawn Mennenga (Special Teams Assistant) and Ray Rhodes (Senior Assistant - Defense), who was formerly head coach of the Packers and Eagles. Keith Gilbertson will also return to the coaching ranks in 2011 as senior assistant – offense after previously serving as the Browns Director of Pro Personnel last year.

“With our coaching staff now complete, I'm excited about the group that we have been able to assemble,” said Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur. “I believe we have a blend of coaches with a tremendous amount of experience who have proven to be excellent teachers throughout the course of their careers. I have known most of these guys for a considerable amount of time, and not only have I been impressed with their work, but they are all greatly respected around the league. Many of our coaches have been a part of winning programs, which is an important element as well. I feel very good about the strengths that each coach possesses, and I am confident this will benefit our team.''

The Browns confirmed they've retained the following coaches from last year's staff: Gary Brown (Running Backs), Steve Hagen (Tight Ends), Jerome Henderson (Defensive Backs), Kent Johnston (Strength and Conditioning), Rick Lyle (Assistant Strength and Conditioning), Luke Steckel (Assistant to the Head Coach) and George Warhop (Offensive Line) will be retained from last year’s staff.

Rhodes brings 30 years of experience coaching in the NFL, including five seasons as a head coach. He spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans, serving first as assistant defensive backs coach in 2008 before spending the last two seasons as senior defensive assistant. Rhodes spent five seasons working under Holmgren in Seattle as defensive coordinator (2003-05) and special projects/defense (2006-07). He also worked under Holmgren in Green Bay in 1992-93.

He was the head coach in Green Bay in 1998, leading the Packers to an 8-8 record.
Rhodes was the head coach in Philadelphia from 1995-98 and in his first year there he earned NFL Coach of Year honors after guiding the Eagles to a 10-6 mark and an appearance in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Beake spent last season as an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to that, he spent two years with the Seattle Seahawks, first as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 before serving as an offensive assistant/assistant special teams coach the following season.

Bullough joins the Browns staff with 14 years of coaching experience on both the collegiate and professional levels. He most recently spent the previous five seasons at UCLA, where he served as the linebackers coach (2006-08) and defensive coordinator (2009-10). Bullough was an assistant atMichigan State at the same time as Shurmur.

Gilbertson joined the Browns last season as the Director of Pro Personnel. He has 38 years of coaching experience, most recently with the Seattle Seahawks where he served in several capacities, including offensive consultant (2005), assistant offensive line coach (2006-07) and wide receivers coach (2008).

Mennenga brings 17 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level to the Browns’ special teams. He most recently spent the past two seasons (2009-10) as the linebackers coach at South Dakota State University.

Steckel enters his third season with the Browns as the Assistant to the Head Coach. He was a three-year letterman as a linebacker at Princeton University where served as team captain as a senior and led the Tigers to a 9-1 record and the Ivy League Championship. Steckel’s father, Les, was a coach for 32 years with 23 of them in the NFL, including the 1984 season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland Browns complete their first coaching staff under Pat Shurmur | cleveland.com

[Enigmatic Evil]

Well it sounds like in light of the "No-OC" hysteria that H3 has amassed a veteran coaching staff to surround Shurmur with this undertaking. I can only hope we give the coach the TIME neccesary to thrive with rebuilding a team. So many times in the past we've had situations like this. Complete overhauls... this is really the 4th... no 5th time we've done this in just over a decade. FIVE rebuilds... really.

I have faith in H3 because of the little things that are being accomplished but the reality of all this will not be seen for one... two years down the road. Once the CBA is cleared up, we've drafted our crop of rookies and if FA happens, maybe brought in some new faces. I expect our outlooks could completely change. Time will tell the story.

[Greythan]

Agreed EE which is why many of us railed against the sentiment that Mangini should have gotten more from the team than what he did. After all, we were only in year 2 of a rebuild.

I'm all in with Holmgren/Heckert/Shurmur as I am with every regime change. I'm simply against regime changes period at this time.

[YtownBacker]

Honestly, I am sort of impressed with the staff that was put together. a nice blend of youth and experience. Rhodes is a good add and there are plenty of offensive coaches no matter what their titles are.

As for Mangini, that ship has sailed whether you liked it or not. Everyone knew he wasn't a good match with this Front Office but at least Holmgren gave him another year to step up but he didn't get it done. He wasn't hung out to dry. They gave him good support and let him coach. It didn't work out.

[Greythan]

Ytown, my message was not about looking in the rear view mirror but as a warning to the "kill the coach" crowd that will inevitably emerge if we post a losing record next year and the year after. I just want folks to start developing a longer memory is all.

[YtownBacker]

Originally Posted by Greythan

Ytown, my message was not about looking in the rear view mirror but as a warning to the "kill the coach" crowd that will inevitably emerge if we post a losing record next year and the year after. I just want folks to start developing a longer memory is all.

My response wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at the guys who can't seem to move on. Guys who would rather look back instead of looking forward.

Finally, we have put together a Front Office with football people making the decisions for the team. They won't be right about every decision but this team is way better off then at anytime since 1999. Instead of embracing it, we got people pissing and moaning about everything and anything.

It's the knee jerk reactions and "the sky is falling" BS that comes from fan frustration with losing. That's understandable but I say at least look at this new staff with an open mind before they start advocating running them out of town because we hired a bunch of nobody coaches.

[Brown Warrior]

Man, I totally agree. It's hard enough for fans to clear away all the variables and judge players... and we can actually watch them play, live, on TV, and on film. We have salient measurables, injury reports, and so on.

But judging a coaching staff before it does its thing for a couple years? Yikes. I just don't know how you do that. I was a little surprised by the Mangini hiring (as were many), but I was willing to step back and watch it unfold.

In the end, I wasn't impressed. Nobody must've been because he's still unemployed. Nobody's knocking down his door.

Originally Posted by YtownBacker

My response wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at the guys who can't seem to move on. Guys who would rather look back instead of looking forward.

Finally, we have put together a Front Office with football people making the decisions for the team. They won't be right about every decision but this team is way better off then at anytime since 1999. Instead of embracing it, we got people pissing and moaning about everything and anything.

It's the knee jerk reactions and "the sky is falling" BS that comes from fan frustration with losing. That's understandable but I say at least look at this new staff with an open mind before they start advocating running them out of town because we hired a bunch of nobody coaches.

[Sez.EJ]

Ray Rhodes is a big name hire with a ton of experience.. Another former head coach and defensive coordinator on the staff and experience as a player... Awesome.

I think Shurmur has put together solid staff... now.. produce.

[Greythan]

Nobody must've been because he's still unemployed

Means nothing. Name one Browns head coach since expansion that's gone on to head coach for another NFL team.

This place has been a career-ender for the coaches brave enough to try their luck.

I'm hoping that's in the past.

[Enigmatic Evil]

That's a great point but Greythan you gotta think about the fall of most of those coaches. It was impossible for Chris Palmer to get another HC gig after his trainwreck tenure. Butch Davis and Romeo Crennell both kind of shot themselves in the foot as well. If anyone has a strong shot to get another HC gig, I would argue it's Mangini if anyone.

[Greythan]

If anyone has a strong shot to get another HC gig, I would argue it's Mangini if anyone.

Yup, that was my point.

[Brown Warrior]

We'll see. Butch Davis is the head coach at a very good North Carolina program. Palmer is an OC again. Crennel is KC's DC.

We'll see where Mangini lands. I think he'll go back to being a DC. He wasn't a successful HC.