Talk about a Hail Mary.
The Cleveland Browns hired St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as head coach, the team announced on Thursday, placing their bets on a coach who has never had any previous NFL head coaching experience.
The Browns, coming off their second 5-11 season with the now-ousted Eric Mangini, hope that Shurmur can help groom young quarterback Colt McCoy into a reliable passer and will now wait and see if he can lead the Browns past the perennial playoff contenders Ravens and Steelers atop the AFC North.
Before his stint with the Rams, Shurmur was the tight ends/offensive line coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2001 and the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach during the Donovan McNabb era from 2002-2008.
Shurmur also was an assistant coach for college teams at Michigan State and Stanford for more than a decade.
In a statement to the Cleveland Browns website, Shurmur expressed his excitement in coaching the Browns, who have made the playoffs just once in their past 13 seasons.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to join an organization with such a rich history and tradition as the Cleveland Browns,” Shurmur said.
Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren said he hired Shurmur because he was “impressed” with his “extensive knowledge of the game and his track record of success” in the NFL.
“I feel as though he possesses the necessary qualities which make him the right man to lead our football team,” Holmgren said.
Fan reaction to the coaching hire was mixed on Twitter.
“Welcome aboard, Pat Shurmur. The future is bright for our Cleveland Browns,” tweeted @Spencer_Tinman.
@TonyEvangelista disagreed, saying in a brief tweet: “Pat Shurmur = #baddecision.”
The Browns will make the official announcement on Friday at their Berea, Ohio-headquarters, The Associated Press reported.
The Cleveland Browns hired St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as head coach, the team announced on Thursday, placing their bets on a coach who has never had any previous NFL head coaching experience.
The Browns, coming off their second 5-11 season with the now-ousted Eric Mangini, hope that Shurmur can help groom young quarterback Colt McCoy into a reliable passer and will now wait and see if he can lead the Browns past the perennial playoff contenders Ravens and Steelers atop the AFC North.
Before his stint with the Rams, Shurmur was the tight ends/offensive line coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2001 and the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach during the Donovan McNabb era from 2002-2008.
Shurmur also was an assistant coach for college teams at Michigan State and Stanford for more than a decade.
In a statement to the Cleveland Browns website, Shurmur expressed his excitement in coaching the Browns, who have made the playoffs just once in their past 13 seasons.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to join an organization with such a rich history and tradition as the Cleveland Browns,” Shurmur said.
Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren said he hired Shurmur because he was “impressed” with his “extensive knowledge of the game and his track record of success” in the NFL.
“I feel as though he possesses the necessary qualities which make him the right man to lead our football team,” Holmgren said.
Fan reaction to the coaching hire was mixed on Twitter.
“Welcome aboard, Pat Shurmur. The future is bright for our Cleveland Browns,” tweeted @Spencer_Tinman.
@TonyEvangelista disagreed, saying in a brief tweet: “Pat Shurmur = #baddecision.”
The Browns will make the official announcement on Friday at their Berea, Ohio-headquarters, The Associated Press reported.
