Why would any qualified coach choose the Browns job? The harsh truth about Cleveland’s coaching search -- Jimmy Watkins

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Finding nan adjacent Mike MacDonald is nan easy part.

OK, I’ll assistance you this: Scouting adjunct coaches tin beryllium tricky. Successful teams are covered successful galore people’s fingerprints. Hard to spot who did what.

And of course, we are talking astir nan Browns here. After six coach firings successful 14 seasons, it appears that co-owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam are, shall we say, still learning really to hire.

But I still person much religion that Cleveland tin find a transcript of MacDonald, nan Seahawks coaching wunderkind, than I do that nan Haslams’ tin do nan difficult part. No, nan intolerable part: Convincing that personification to take them.

The adjacent Browns coach must instill a civilization of discipline, reconstruct violative competency and triumph capable games to instrumentality astir while maintaining patience pinch a young roster. But first, he aliases she must prime nan Browns, who travel complete pinch a 5-12 roster, a messy headdress expanse and impatient ownership.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam fired erstwhile coach Kevin Stefanski connected Monday aft six years and amid a expected play of transition. To perceive wide head Andrew Berry show it Monday, nan Browns ever knew this play would beryllium a struggle. But they still concluded that, contempt winning 2 Coach of The Year awards and nan fourth-most games of immoderate coach successful franchise history, Stefanski had to go.

The group successful Cleveland cognize that his communicative contains much nuance than that. We cognize that Stefanski’s discourtesy lacked an personality (if besides talent) during his last 2 seasons. We cognize nan Browns committed penalties and fumbled winnable games excessively often nether his tutelage. And we cognize that prima separator rusher Myles Garrett, who told nan squad past offseason he wants a sound successful franchise decisions, declined nan chance to take sides Stefanski’s grant last week.

But these MacDonald types are portion of nan coaching fraternity. And successful nan paragraph above, each they spot is simply a bully coach wronged by his antsy organization. Cleveland traded 3 first-round picks for nan incorrect quarterback, and nan owners blamed its coach for nan fallout. They fired him 18 months aft he signed an hold and six aft they preached patience to nan fanbase astatine training camp.

Doesn’t sound for illustration nan destination for coaching success, particularly during your first caput job. And let’s get this consecutive now: I judge nan Browns will person to prosecute a first-timer.

What campaigner pinch options and/or well-placed friends astir nan convention would take to activity for nan Cleveland coaching conveyor belts? Certainly not a seasoned for illustration erstwhile Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who precocious vanished different displacement moving nether a different meddling proprietor successful Jerry Jones (My guess: McCarthy wouldn’t urge it).

• Browns will see DC Jim Schwartz to switch Kevin Stefanski; Brian Flores among different imaginable candidates
• Kevin Stefanski’s Browns coaching bequest by nan numbers: Fourth-down aggressiveness, challenged plays, points
• What’s adjacent for nan Browns aft they occurrence Kevin Stefanski: Berea Report (Video)

And I don’t deliberation retreads for illustration 49ers protect coordinator Robert Saleh would return nan job, either. He learned his instruction astir landing spots during four seasons pinch nan Jets (2021-2024), who sullied Saleh’s estimation by kindness of their accustomed bad business. And he’s comfortable successful San Francisco pinch coach Kyle Shanahan, nether whom Saleh has worked for 5 seasons crossed 2 stints.

That leaves Cleveland sifting done chartless quantities for illustration Chargers protect coordinator Jesse Minter, aliases Seahawks violative coordinator Klint Kubiak, aliases Packers protect coordinator Jeff Hafley. Ever heard of these guys? Think they’ll beryllium awesome coaches?

How could you know. They’re young, inexperienced and ingrained successful fantabulous cultures arsenic we speak.

What does Minter look for illustration extracurricular of Jim Harbaugh’s orbit? How tin a 38-year-old Kubiak replicate MacDonald’s civilization without Seattle’s players? How overmuch amended tin Hafley beryllium arsenic NFL caput coach than he was astatine Boston College (22-26)?

Hard to say. Hard to scout coaches.

But it’s moreover harder to person a bully 1 to take Cleveland, wherever nan champion coach successful modern franchise history conscionable sewage fired, nan wide head must restructure Deshaun Watson’s statement (again) to create headdress space, and nan astir important position room features 2 inconsistent rookie quarterbacks and nan aforementioned Watson.

Are you a qualified coach who tin instill a civilization of discipline, reconstruct violative competency and triumph capable games to instrumentality astir while maintaining patience pinch a young roster? Great. Just 1 much mobility for you.

Why successful nan world would you return this job?

Jimmy Watkins is simply a columnist for Cleveland.com. He provides unsocial perspectives and intricate reporting connected our section teams and their rivals. He joined america successful November 2022 arsenic nan rivalry hit writer, and his...