Shurmur officially begins career with the Browns

Associated Press

BEREA

With his new boss, the former Super Bowl-winning coach looking over his right shoulder, Pat Shurmur began his career with the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Holmgren prays it’s a long one.

“This is the first head coach I’ve ever hired,” said Holmgren, the club’s president. “I trust it will be my last. I don’t want to do it again.”

This time, the Browns believe they got it right.

They’d better.

St. Louis’ offensive coordinator the past two years, Shurmur was introduced Friday as Cleveland’s new coach, the fifth in 13 years for the perpetually bad Browns, who have just one playoff appearance and little else to boast since their 1999 expansion return.

In his first head coaching job, Shurmur inherits a talent-thin team that went 5-11 the past two seasons under Eric Mangini, who was fired on Jan. 3. Hours after releasing Mangini, Holmgren set out to find an offensive-minded coach who could bring the Browns back to respectability.

His quest ended with the 45-year-old Shurmur, who was groomed as an assistant under Eagles coach Andy Reid, a Holmgren disciple and one of his closest friends. Shurmur’s intellect, dedication and personality convinced Holmgren he would fit perfectly.

“We have a good man here,” Holmgren said.

Only time will tell if he’s the right one.

Cleveland craves stability, and Shurmur, who signed a four-year contract, intends to give this faulty franchise just that. His transition should be eased by his deep connections with Cleveland’s front office. He spent eight years working in Philadelphia with Browns general manager Tom Heckert, and he’s run the wide-open West Coast offense Holmgren wants in Cleveland.

For once, there are no philosophical differences. The Browns feel united.

“Our goal is to win the AFC North, to compete in the playoffs and win Super Bowls,” said Shurmur, a father of four who was accompanied by his wife, Jennifer. “I’m ready for this challenge. One of the overused phrases is being on the same page. But I’ll use it, and it happened from Day One here.”

Shurmur’s work has just begun. He’s in the early stages of putting together his staff and would not comment on coordinator candidates. Shurmur’s initial plans are to call Cleveland’s offensive plays, and he may switch the Browns’ defensive scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-4.

“There’s a defense? he cracked. “Typically I don’t tell jokes but that’s obviously a very, very important piece of what we need to get done.”

Holmgren’s persona dwarfs everything in Cleveland. His presence could intimidate any coach, and Holmgren recognizes there will be those who believe Shurmur is merely a coaching puppet. Holmgren, though, made it clear the Browns are Shurmur’s.

“As we speak, our IT guys are creating a phone system where I’m actually going to call the plays,” Holmgren joked before turning serious. “He is the head coach. I am the president. I’ve coached a long time. My door is always open. If he wants to come in and bounce things off me, I hope he does that. We’re going to have a great relationship. But it’s his football team.”

Shurmur promises to tap into Holmgren’s vast knowledge and experience.

“I don’t know everything,” he said. “We have a guy that’s been to three Super Bowls and recently built two organizations. It would be silly for me to not ask coach Holmgren what he thinks about various issues and be able to bounce off ideas about strategy and structure. I intend to use those resources.”