Transcript of Friday news conference with Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

Transcript of Friday news conference with Browns President Mike Holmgren, General Manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerNew coach Pat Shurmur, center, with President Mike Holmgren, left, and GM Tom Heckert address the media Friday in Berea.

Mike Holmgren

(Opening statement)- "Good morning everybody. It's with great excitement to introduce you to Pat Shurmur as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. When we started the process a couple weeks ago we told you how we were going to conduct business. I trust that we've been fair about that with you and we narrowed it down to three candidates Pat, Mike Mularkey and Perry Fewell. I talked to both Mike and Perry yesterday, thanked them for their involvement, classy guys, good coaches. It's my belief that they'll be head coaches in this league but Pat emerged as the one that we think is the best man to take the Cleveland Browns where we hope to go. Today is his day and it's not so much about Tom (Heckert) and me, we're kind of window dressing up here. Pat Shurmur the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns."

Pat Shurmur

(Opening statement)- "Thank you coach. This is obviously a great day in our lives as coaches, as educators, as teachers. You dream of the opportunity to be a part of an organization such as this and then be able to provide the vision for a team with such great tradition. With that being said, I'd like a couple of thank you's. Obviously, Mr. Lerner, President Holmgren, G.M. Tom Heckert, I'd like to thank Steve Spagnuolo, the people in St. Louis. My two years there have been tremendous. I'd also like to thank Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. That was my introduction to pro football and I learned it from a man who learned it from this guy (Mike Holmgren). I think that helped build this collective view of how to win so I'd like to thank them. Our years there were invaluable. I'd also like to thank my wife Jennifer who's here today, we've been friends now for over 25 years and we're partners in this thing as well as our four kids who are home anxiously awaiting everything that is happening. We are a family, I am a father, I'm a husband and we cannot wait to get to Cleveland and become a part of this community. I was born and raised in the Detroit area and I know what this region is all about. I understand the thirst for winning, I think we have a collective view of how to get it done and we can't wait to get to work and start that process. I'm thrilled to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns and I cannot wait to basically get off of this podium and get to the task of assembling the staff that we want to all be proud of and then get to the point where we can work with the players. There are a lot of outstanding people in the building and I'm now one of those that can help push us forward. There are a lot of things I'd like to say. I do know this, as you talk about our team and the goals for this team it's very simple, we're trying to win football games. Our goal is to win the AFC North, to compete in the playoffs and win Super Bowls. Anything thing that we talk about that doesn't relate to winning then I think we're getting ourselves distracted. We will make all of our decisions based on winning so that will start and it's actually started already this process as of yesterday. With that being said, there's a great amount of excitement."

Pat Shurmur

(On what he is inheriting with this team)- "I think we have a team here with great tradition, there are a lot of pieces in place and it wouldn't be fair for me to comment on any of the details. Again, that will be a process that we actually started yesterday and as we move forward, we're going to do the very best we can to build the very best team we can and win games and championships."

Pat Shurmur

(On the advantage he has with his background with Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren)- "I think the relationship that I have with Tom and Coach Holmgren is part of the strength of what we're going to embark on. I think we have a collective view of what it takes to win in this league and we'll be able to put that into play."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he is going to be hands on with Colt McCoy)- "The quarterback in this league is so, so important. We had a structure that I learned under where the head coach, the offensive coordinator, the quarterback coach and then ultimately the quarterback there was a lot of communication but we found a way to get on the same page, to work with those players to do the very best that they could on Sunday. I would anticipate the vision for this football team will be seen through the eyes of the quarterback."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he will call the plays on offense)- "Yes, initially I will start out by calling the plays. I think that's an important piece, and that really is the fun part for an offensive coach to be able to do that. In terms of hiring the coordinators, the staff in general, now that's an ongoing process so we're actively pursuing the guys that we want to come to Cleveland and help us get this thing done. We are in the process right now in doing that."

Mike Holmgren

(On the qualities Shurmur has that are necessary for a head coach)- "He could tell you but he's a modest guy. He is very bright, hard working, a team player. He served his, I would say, apprenticeship to get to this point as a long time college assistant coach and professional coach and then he has coordinated the last couple of years. He has been able to talk to half the team a good portion of the time. I like his personality, he's a good man. Clearly his got a wonderful wife, wonderful family, he's a good person and he's a dedicated football coach. He had all the characteristics that we kind of listed prior to this search. Pat won't talk about that so much but I'm happy to talk about it, we have a good man here, we're very fortunate."

Tom Heckert

(On when he saw the progression in Shurmur when they were together in Philadelphia)- "Andy (Reid) and I talked about it a lot, all the assistant coaches that we had. We went from Brad (Childress) he got a job and Marty (Mornhinweg) was back in there and Pat was there. I thought we saw that right away. The way he handled Donovan (McNabb) at the time, the way he handled the offense and the way he did things. I think we could see that right away and Andy and I talked that quite a bit and I knew it was going to come. It was just a matter of time and luckily for me it happened here."

Pat Shurmur

(On what scheme he will use on defense)- "There's a defense (joking)? Typically I don't tell jokes but no we have talked about that. We've talked about that to great length already but again as we move forward we're going to do the things necessary to build a very, very fine defense. That's obviously a very, very important piece of what we need to get done."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he is going to work with the players he has or if they are in a rebuilding phase)- "We're trying to build the best team that we can and obviously we try to get the very best players that are available to us. There's ways to do that, keep the players here, obviously you have free agency and the draft. With those three facets of player acquisition, we're going to do the very best we can to build the very best team. I think we have the pieces in place to evaluate that and then put it all together."

Pat Shurmur

(On how much he learned from his uncle Fritz Shurmur)- "My uncle Fritz was a great inspiration to me especially in the profession. He was the one who helped encourage me to do it. I would have to say the initial inspiration to do it came from home with my mother and my father. I kind of always tended to be somewhat of an educator and a teacher and then my passion for the game of football they helped to obviously encourage that. Uncle Fritz, he had a very unique way of simplifying very complex tasks and I think that's the start as a teacher to be able to get very talented, very motivated guys to do the simply things and then put all the pieces together so that in total you got what you're looking for."

Mike Holmgren

(On Fritz Shurmur)- "In fact I've got to tell you two quick stories. The pedigree actually did factor into this a little bit. First of all Fritz would come up to me before any game, shake my hand and say, "Mike, good luck, for the next 60 minutes neither one of us are responsible for what we say to one another. That's the first thing, the second thing is Pat bought me lunch yesterday. Fritz, never bought me anything as long as we were together so there's the difference. It's a great family, clearly. I suspect Fritz is up there smiling down now on this thing."

Mike Holmgren

(On if he remembers Pat Shurmur coming to Green Bay visiting his uncle)- "I remember him from those days and what I remember most was an eager, young guy who coaching was in his blood, in his genes if you will. That was about it. I'd like to tell you, "You know what I had this vision and I could see this day happening," I couldn't tell you that. Over the years now we've kept in contact and whether it was competing against one another or most recently prior to last year's draft, we had an interesting conversation about the quarterbacks. We've kept in contact over the years."

Mike Holmgren

(On if he can share their conversation about the quarterbacks)- "No, sorry."

Pat Shurmur

(On how everyone in the division kind of does the same thing on offense and the relevance the running game will have in his offense)- "I think the running game is very important. When you talk about offense obviously it starts up front you have to have a gritty, well coordinated group of offensive linemen that either block the run or protect the passer so I've learned that at a young age in this profession that without that you have no chance. From that standpoint the next most important guy would be the quarterback and how he operates, how he plays and how efficient he is. That being said, I think it's very important that we're able to run the football but in the NFL you have to be able to efficiently and explosively through the ball and that's something that we're going to try and get done."

Pat Shurmur

(On when he thought he was ready to be a head coach in the NFL)- "I think you always have to try to match your training with your ambition. I've always somewhat believed that when the time was right it would happen. For young energetic guys that have ambition to be able to piece that together with patience I think is an important thing. I really do think the last two years in St. Louis were what I needed to make the final jump and now we're here and I look forward to moving forward."

Pat Shurmur

(On Colt McCoy)- "Obviously with last year's choosing of a quarterback I got to know Colt very well. I'm very impressed with Colt McCoy and I think he has the skill set, the skill and ability to be a fine player in this league. I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Tom Heckert

(On how they knew which coaching candidate had "it")- "I was thinking about this a lot when this process was going on and fortunately I've been around some pretty good football coaches with coach (Don) Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Andy Reid and I did think a lot about that. It's obviously a little bit of a feeling because you don't know the final answer, but whatever "it" is, I saw it in those guys, you can tell after a while. Then coach Holmgren being here with him for this past year but I think you have to just rely on what you've seen in the past and who you've worked with and who you've talked with in the league and after saying all that I think Pat has "it"."

Mike Holmgren

"The honest answer to the question is, you're not sure. You're not absolutely sure, there are no guarantees on anything so in your evaluation process you're trying to be as sure as you can be. I do know this, we cannot keep changing around here every two or three years. You can't do that and expect to be successful, you can't do that. My hope and why this was so important and why I'm very excited, I see these two men working together. I can envision certain things where it's a pretty good fit and my hope and prayer is that now the changes stop. Now the growing and building begins. I think we took some strides last year. My hope is this is the coach and this will be the coach for a long, long time. That was part of the thinking."

Mike Holmgren

(On if he is going to be more hands on with coaching since Shurmur doesn't have head coaching experience at the NFL level)- "Pat and I were talking about that this morning. As we speak our IT guys are creating a phone system where I am actually going to call the plays in the game (joking). Here's how I'd like this to work and again Pat and I have talked about this a lot, he is the head coach of this football team, I'm the president of the organization, I've coached a long time, my door is always open if he wants to come in and bounce things off of me, I hope he does that. I know we're going to have a great relationship but it's his football team. I don't know how to make that any clearer. Will I talk to him about stuff? I hope so, I hope we create that type of feeling in the building but I'm not going to interfere, I hope to help. That's how I'm going to set it up."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he is going to use Holmgren as a resource)- "I know this and we've talked about this quite a bit, I don't know everything, one thing I learned early on is I do think I'm smart enough to know when there's a problem or something that needs to get discussed to go find a resource. In this building and running this organization, we have a guy that's been to three Super Bowls and recently built two organizations. The resources are remarkable and outstanding. It would be silly for me to not ask coach Holmgren what he thinks about various issues from time to time and be able to bounce off ideas to talk about strategy and structure and all the things that are very important to an organization. I intend to use those resources."

Pat Shurmur

(On why working under Andy Reid makes so many coaches ready to be a head coach)- "My first introduction to pro football on a day to day basis was of course Andy Reid and he's a tremendous teacher. He's a man very comfortable in what he knows, he hires a staff of people to do a job and watches them to do it, encourages them to do it and then helps them do it. A man that can be in a job as long as he has in an NFL franchise in a great city like Philadelphia, the test of time is a testimony to him and the job that he's done. I think when you look back on it, there's a lot of people in the NFL that would like to hire a part of Andy Reid and I think to me is a strong statement."

Pat Shurmur

(On his decision process for hiring a defensive coordinator)- "You hit on it and it is a process and at this time of year the season stops abruptly for most teams, and there's a few teams in the playoffs so it is a process of hiring coaches. From that standpoint I really don't want to go beyond that. Not trying to be secretive or skirt the question but we're going to try to get the very best defensive coordinator that we can and put that to play with that players that are in place."

Mike Holmgren

(On how close this team is to competing to win the division)- "Those types of answers are difficult. We were in just about every game except the last one and that included the Pittsburgh game in my opinion and our two Baltimore games we were in. Had chances to win a number of games this year, I thought we were that close. I thought we made strides. Now a field goal here, a play here, or this and that there maybe our record would have been different. A little bit closer to those fellas but they have set the bar in our division there's no question about that. For us to get where we want to get we have to get closer to them. Are we making strides? I believe we are. Are we there yet? We'll see but I know our games this year, if those are any indication then we're a little closer than we were two years ago. As the building process continues, you take positive steps forward and hopefully that shows in the record because that's what everyone sees and that's what everyone understands."

Mike Holmgren

(On if there is something to having a unique offense that division opponents do not see on a regular basis)- "I think so. Pat touched on it and as he gets farther into the job, he's going to talk about it more. Because you're going to look out at the Browns and perhaps see a little different style, please no one interpret that as we are going away from the run. We got to running the ball pretty well and we have a couple of guys that, I think, can run the ball well and those types of things. What has to improve is, I think, our ability to throw the ball and our utilization of our wide receivers. Those things. That's built in to what you're going to see. I don't think you have to give up one to get the other. I think it's a blend, I think it's a balance and all of those things. The problem always will be with those two teams in our division, they're both outstanding defensive ball clubs. Actually, Cincinnati, I think is a pretty good team. They see this offense enough when they are playing outside of the division. They look at film and prepare for what they see on film. While it might be a little bit different from what they normally see from what Cleveland has done in the past, execution will be the key, not so much fooling them with anything."

Tom Heckert

(On if they think McCoy is the guy at quarterback going forward)- "We've talked about that. I think he's on the right track, let's put it that way. He had some good games for us this year, he showed poise and all of the things you're looking for in a quarterback. From my standpoint, I think he's on the right track. I think he's proved that he belongs here and we will just have to wait and see."

Pat Shurmur

(On how he relates to players and his relationships with them)- "I would say my relationship with players is very professional. I really do think, and I've always believed this, that players are different and coaches are different. You folks will determine what my style is, but I will say this, we have to do the very best we can to get the best out of the players that we have. There are some men that don't perform unless they are physically and emotionally challenged in a lot of ways. I'm at peace with that. There are some guys that a couple of quiet words is enough to get them to do their very best. I think the key to being a coach at especially this level is to get to know your players as well as you can, understand what helps them perform at their best and then not use tactics, but basically communicate with them in those ways. I think when I started coaching quarterbacks, I was an offensive lineman and believe me, I have a firm grasp of how to lose it. I do think that when I became a quarterback coach, now you're talking about a guy that's dealing with a wide spectrum of emotions. Being able to stay calm and talking to them about what they need at the right time became an important piece. In terms of my style or how I motivate, I think part of it is how we are talking to the players that we are working with."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he can comment on Dick Jauron and Mike McCoy being possible coordinator candidates)- "Because it's an ongoing process, I'd rather not. As I mentioned, there are a lot of things going on. Information obviously spreads quickly, so I'm going to leave that be for right now. I'm not trying to avoid the question, but again, the process is very, very important."

Pat Shurmur

(On points that he used to coach Sam Bradford last year that might help him with McCoy this upcoming season)- "Obviously, you're taking a guy that is very talented, which I think Colt is. I was working with a guy that when he woke up in the morning, he gets it. Whatever it is, he understands what life is all about and how to play the position. He worked very hard, he hung on every word and every coaching point meant something to him. Basically what we tried to do is present a consistent approach. We taught him the skills necessary to play the position at this level, implemented the game plans and then worked with him in the normal way. Working with Sam was a tremendous experience because I think he responded in ways that most rookies can't."

Tom Heckert

(On how much of a challenge it is going to be to play Shurmur's style of football with the Browns" current roster)- "It's going to be a challenge, there's no question. There's going to be some turnover here. We knew that regardless of the situation that there was going to be turnover here. We have some age on the team and obviously we have to get younger. Pat and I will sit down and once we get everything in place, we will decide which way we are going to go in a lot of positions. There's going to be some change, there's no question about it."

Tom Heckert

(On if he thinks there is a core of the roster that will fit their needs)- "I really do. It's hard to say, but I do think we have the players, or at least have some players, that can fit whatever we are going to do. The guys that we don't, we are just going to have to go out and get."

Pat Shurmur

(On if he will try to scientifically approach coaching with some of the things he has learned from Andy Reid or if he will just go about it however he feels is right)- "Scientifically approach it? I don't know. I think what happens is you are around people and it's amazing how many hours we spend (together). I don't think anybody knows until you go through it. I think when you're around people, you see them deal with situations and issues of the day that may not seem like a big deal. You see how they handle things and you'd like to think with all of the guys that you work with, you take away the good and let the bad stay. I feel like I did that with Coach Reid. He has a unique way of handling things that can stand the test of time, and I think that's strong compliment for him. All of the guys I've worked for, I think, and all of the coaches in my past have been extremely influential on me. From George Perles, who I played for and I coached with, Nick Saban, Tyrone Willingham, obviously Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo. I'm talking about a list of guys that are extremely well-rounded, extremely successful coaches. I feel like I grabbed something good from all of them."

Pat Shurmur

(On how he sees Peyton Hillis fitting in with his style of offense and his ability to catch the football well)- "I think Peyton Hillis is a tremendous running back. It's very important that a runner has the ability to catch the football. Some short passes end up being like run plays at times. We can get into the scheme a little bit later, but I think he's a fantastic player, had an excellent year and I obviously look forward to working with him."

Pat Shurmur

(On if it is daunting to come to an organization that has had so many head coaches in recent history)- "This is no big deal, this is like a normal day (joking). We talked about when you're ready to be a head coach. We are all teachers and educators, I feel honored to be here. I do feel as though I'm ready for this challenge and given the opportunity to be a head coach and to have the resources that we have here is just remarkable. I think that the relationships that we have as we move forward, one of the overused phrases in football I think is "being on the same page," but I will use it and say it happened from day one here. If there is a fatal flaw in an organization, we will not fall victim to that."

Mike Holmgren

(On if he ever got in touch with Jon Gruden during his coaching search and how much his agent, Bob LaMonte, played a role in the search)- "I think it's been documented in the last week, talked about certainly. A couple of things, one I did talk to Jon. I did talk to Bill Cower, I did talk to a number of people that didn't appear in stories anywhere, but as part of the process to get to who we actually were going to interview with, it was important for me to hear from those fellas how interested they were in coaching again first of all. As far as our relationship with Bob, Bob and I have been friends for over 30 years, we were high school teachers together and everybody knows the story. Moving forward, I can honestly say this, he represents a lot of people in this business. To think you are going to do any sort of hiring, either head coach or front office, without somehow his name popping up somewhere is unusual. It seems to be. I can honestly say when I first put Pat on the list, I did not know Bob represented Pat. Then I was talking to Bob about something else and he said, "I've got Pat too." I said, "Well, that's great." That's the first thing. The second thing is his responsibility as an agent, I think, to any of his clients, he is honest, he works very, very hard for them and when he's dealing with an organization for anybody, he is representing that person with that organization. He's not representing Pat Shurmur to Mike Holmgren or to Tom Heckert, he's representing Pat to the Cleveland Browns and he does his job very well. At the same time, when I am talking to Pat, I am not really thinking about Bob. If I'm talking to Tom, I'm not thinking about who represents him really. I wanted to get who I felt was the best man for the job. As it turns out, his representation was pretty familiar. We feel very fortunate that we got it done. Bob was not part of that process, he was certainly part of the contractual process, but that's what he does."

Mike Holmgren

(On how he narrowed it down to the final three candidates for the position)- "There was a committee that included Tom and myself, Bryan Wiedmeier, Gil Haskell and Matt Thomas, our football administration. As I said, we started putting together lists of all of the things I told you we were going to do. College coaches, coordinators, head coaches, coaches whose contracts were up and all of that kind of stuff. Then we met daily and some guys knew this guy, some guys knew people that knew this guy, so we started gathering information and whittled it all down to, I'd say a finalist group of 10, like you would. Then we took those 10 and did a little more digging and came to, what I thought, were the three. I didn't want to waste anybody else's time, I wasn't going to formally interview 10 guys. I didn't think that was necessary. It would waste their time and our valuable time. My charge to my committee was let's find the three top candidates, in our opinion, and those were the guys we were going to talk to. That's how it happened."

Pat Shurmur

(On how to convince NFL players that have not won yet at this level that they can)- "I think what we do is number one, there's a huge piece to this called trust. We went to St. Louis and won one game the first year. This year, we won seven and were fighting to win the division when really at the beginning of the year, no one thought it could happen. I think what happens is that's build on a day to day basis. I think it goes back to the relationships, it goes back to people working hard together and then you put your systems in place. You put the people in place and you just trust that it's going to happen. I think there are people in this organization that have a pedigree in this profession that points to winning, so I think that's the key piece."

Mike Holmgren

(On if there are different characteristics that he looks for in assistant coaches than a head coach)- "I believe it's different. I think hiring your staff and hiring assistant coaches, you're looking at certain things and certain specifics. If I'm going to hire a linebackers coach, obviously the criteria there is a certain specific nature to the job. When you're hiring a head coach, there is a lot of stuff, as you might imagine. There's the football part of it, he wouldn't be a candidate if he wasn't a good football coach in some area, offensive coordinator or whatever it is. Then the character of the person is hugely important to me. Then a feeling, an instinct if you will, about how he will deal with the whole group, how he will present himself to the team standing up there, how he will get people to do sometimes some things that they want to do. Just his presence, that's kind of intuitive, I think, and it's a little bit of a gut reaction, a little less scientific, if you will."

Mike Holmgren

(On if the interview is focused on the candidate as a person)- "That's what the interview is about, one of the big things of the interview. I know Pat is a good football coach, I know he can line people up and get them to do stuff. What's important to me, there are a lot of things the head coach has to do. To me, that was a big part of the interview process. Then the other thing is you talk to people, you talk to people that have been with them. I had an advantage because Tom and Pat had worked together for so many years, so we had a real good resource there. You have to do that. This is the first head coach I've ever hired, I trust it will be the last. I don't want to do it again."

Pat Shurmur

(On if teaching plays a role in putting the system that he wants in place)- "I think it's the foundation of what we do. We take highly motivated, talented people and then we teach them to do very basic tasks, then we tie it all together. Then we go out and let you folks evaluate it and try to have those tasks point to efficient football and winning. The foundation of what we do is teach. I think if we don't start talking there, then we miss the key piece."

Tom Heckert

(On how much the similarities between the three of them played into the hiring of Shurmur)- "I don't think you can understate that. Like Pat said, from the day he walked in the door, we were on the same page. Everybody says they want the character and hard work and stuff, but we've been through it together and we've done it with getting those players. We've won a lot of football games. Unfortunately we didn't win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, but we did win an awful lot of football games. I think we are on the same page when it comes to players and what we are looking for, and we've done it together before. Like Pat said, from day one we were on the same page with what kind of players we are looking for and how we are going to acquire those players. That can't be a negative."

Pat Shurmur

(On if any of the current assistant coaches have been ruled out at this point)- "I'm not trying to evade the question, but that's a process that we are going through. I think it will become very obvious, very quickly where we are going, in terms of the staff. As I mentioned, you have resources for finding out that information. To protect the process to some degree, we are just going to leave it at that."

Mike Holmgren

(On if John Fox was included in the initial search)- "Yes, he was, absolutely. John was just hired in Denver, so he was involved in some other things. In whittling down, one of the big considerations was offense versus defense. John is a great coach and we have been friend a long time. The hard part of this, it was like when I was coaching and hiring a staff, I probably have 4,000 guys I've worked with and friends of mine. They all may have thought I was going to hire them, so now they're all mad at me (joking). You have to kind of push those things to the best of your ability aside and make the correct judgment to the best of your ability. One of the big considerations was the offensive background Pat had."

Pat Shurmur

(On him being a player in training camp in Green Bay coming out of college and if he was disappointed that he didn't make it as a player)- "I think eventually, genetics catch up with all of us. From a playing standpoint, that's what happened. I do know this, I am very fortunate to be involved in a profession that is my hobby. I'm very passionate about the sport. I had an opportunity to go back to Michigan State and be a graduate assistant and finish my MBA. I initially thought I was going to rule the world on Wall Street, but when I got the taste of what coaching is really all about, then that kind of catapulted me into this profession. From that standpoint, I'd say there are probably a lot of coaches that feel as though they couldn't play any longer, so they try to stay as close to it as possible. I probably am one of those guys."

Transcript courtesy of the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur ready to get to work.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerNew Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur speaks to the media during his introductory news conference on Friday.

Describing himself as a husband and a father of four and a native of the Midwest who understands Cleveland's "thirst for winning," Pat Shurmur took the reins on Friday as the next great hope as Browns coach.

Only a few sentences into his introductory news conference, Shurmur, 45, demonstrated a no-nonsense approach to his first head coaching job at any level.

"I can't wait to basically get off this dais, this podium, and get to the task of assembling a staff that we're all going to be proud of," Shurmur said.

"As far as team goals, it's very simple. Our goal is to win the AFC North, to compete in the playoffs and win Super Bowls. Anything we talk about that doesn't relate to winning, then I think we're getting ourselves distracted. We will make all our decisions based on winning."

President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert sat on either side of Shurmur. Their prior relationships are well-documented.

Shurmur's late uncle, Fritz, was Holmgren's defensive coordinator in Green Bay in the 1990s. Heckert headed the Eagles' personnel department as Shurmur served his NFL apprenticeship under coach Andy Reid, Holmgren's most lasting protege, before graduating to offensive coordinator the past two seasons with the St. Louis Rams.

Their shared philosophies are a striking contrast to the cultural differences Holmgren and Heckert had with Shurmur predecessor Eric Mangini.

"From the day Pat walked in the door, we were on the same page," Heckert said. "Everybody says they want the character and hard work and stuff, but we've been through it together [in Philadelphia] and we've done it with getting those players."

Shurmur is the 13th full-time head coach since the Browns' inception in 1946 -- the fifth one since the franchise was reinvented in expansion in 1999. His background in offense, particularly in the pass-first style preferred by Holmgren, was "one of the big considerations" in choosing him, Holmgren said.

Shurmur will incorporate Holmgren's West Coast offense and call his own plays. A former center at Michigan State, he rated offensive line the most important part of the offense and quarterback the most important individual.

He scouted quarterback Colt McCoy thoroughly while the Rams were preparing to take McCoy's college rival, Sam Bradford, with the first pick in the last draft, and said he's looking forward to working with him.

"I think it's very important that we're able to run the football, but in the NFL you have to be able to efficiently and explosively throw the ball, and that's something that we're going to try and get done," Shurmur said.

Holmgren concurred: "Because you're going to look out at the Browns and perhaps see a little different style, please no one interpret that as we are going away from the run. What has to improve is our ability to throw the ball and our utilization of our wide receivers."

There was so much talk about offense that when Shurmur finally was asked his plans on defense, he quipped: "There's a defense? . . . Typically I don't tell jokes, but, no, we have talked about that."

Shurmur would not comment on reports that his top choice for defensive coordinator is Dick Jauron, who coached in the 1990s with Holmgren and spent 2010 as a defensive assistant with Philadelphia. A league source told The Plain Dealer that the Eagles have granted the Browns permission to interview Jauron. He will probably be in town next week.

Holmgren received some criticism for the perceived limited scope of his first coaching search as Browns president. He formally interviewed only three candidates -- Shurmur, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Holmgren explained that he talked to others informally -- including Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher and John Fox -- but whittled down a list of 10 to three he because he didn't want to waste time with unnecessary interviews.

He downplayed the influence played by friend and longtime agent Bob LaMonte in the process and said he did not even know LaMonte represented Shurmur until well into the search.

"Bob was not part of [the search] process. He was certainly part of the contractual process, but that's what he does," Holmgren said.

Holmgren praised Shurmur as "a good person and a dedicated football coach." He said his football credentials are obvious, but it takes an instinct to project an unknown as a head coach.

"How he will deal with the whole group, how he will present himself to the team standing up there, how he will get people to do sometimes some things that they [don't] want to do," Holmgren said. "Just his presence . . . it's a little bit of a gut reaction."

Holmgren's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed as he addressed the two men -- Shurmur and Heckert -- who now hold the fortunes of the Browns and their long-suffering fans.

"I do know this," Holmgren said. "We cannot keep changing around here every two or three years. You can't do that and expect to be successful. My hope and why this was so important and why I'm very excited is I see these two men working together.

"I can envision certain things where it's a pretty good fit and my hope and prayer is that now the changes stop. Now the growing and building begins."

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is in contract talks to become the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Fox's Jay Glazer is reporting.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerBrowns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan could soon be the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, according to foxsports.com

CLEVELAND -- Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is in contract talks with the Dallas Cowboys to become their defensive coordinator, Fox's Jay Glazer reports.

Ryan, who wasn't considered by new Browns coach Pat Shurmur to be retained, also interviewed for the Panthers head coach job.

Ryan was hoping to become a head coach this season, but the Browns' four-game losing streak to end the season didn't help his case. His twin brother, Jets coach Rex Ryan, also said earlier this week that he'd love to have Rob join him in some capacity.

The Browns will interview Eagles secondary coach Dick Jauron for their defensive coordinator position next week, a league source told the Plain Dealer. Jauron brings 10 years experience as a head coach and four a coordinator. His expertise is with defensive backs.

Tony Grossi takes a look at what the Browns might look like when they take the field next season.

ANALYSIS

The Browns we've known the past two years are gone. Change started Thursday with the selection of new coach Pat Shurmur. Here's a taste of what we might expect when the Browns next take the field.

Where the offense is heading: Total conversion to the pass-first principles of the West Coast offense. Regards short passes as extensions of handoffs. Stresses getting the ball in receivers' hands quickly and letting them make plays running after catches.

Horizontal routes and pinpoint accuracy enable receivers to accelerate with the ball. The up-tempo passing game opens up lanes in the running game. Running is not de-emphasized, but is set up by the pass. The base system is a traditional fullback-halfback formation, with both required to be good pass catchers. The quarterback runs the show. This is the system that most fits Colt McCoy's skill set.

Shurmur will establish the mentality of his offense, and thus his team, by calling the plays. With veteran coaches schooled in the offense already on board -- Mike Holmgren and Gil Haskell -- Shurmur is likely to hire a younger coordinator whom he can groom to eventually take over play-calling in the future.

Lynn Ischay / The Plain DealerLinebacker Marcus Benard (58) is the kind of player who can play at a couple spots in the 4-3 defense run by Dick Jauron, the leading candidate to become the Browns' defensive coordinator.

Where the defense is heading: Most likely will switch to the traditional 4-3 alignment. Leading contender as coordinator is Dick Jauron, 60, who has 25 years as an NFL assistant and head coach. Jauron worked for Holmgren in the 1990s and last year worked for Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

Jauron likes big, physical defensive linemen who play the "two-gap" style -- required to keep blockers off the linebackers. In that regard, linemen in his version of the 4-3 have similar responsibilities as the linemen in the Eric Mangini 3-4 system.

The linebackers must be fast and agile, able to run sideline to sideline. He favors a four-man front, but will substitute an undersized rusher on designated downs, much like Marcus Benard has been used. Jauron doesn't take a lot of chances and tries to be more solid than fancy.

The Browns absolutely, positively must find an experienced, impact defensive coordinator.

Berea -- Scribbles in my Browns notebook ...

1. I knew the moment Pat Shurmur was hired that the Browns must hire an experienced defensive coordinator. But the new head coach's news conference screamed for the need of a defensive coordinator who can almost serve as a second head coach. That was especially true when Shurmur said he planned to call his own plays, at least for this season.

2. So that means the Browns have a rookie head coach who also will serve the same key role as the offensive coordinator -- the play caller. He also is a coach who has always worked on the offensive side of the ball. None of this is a knock on Shurmur or the Browns' decision to hire him, but you had better defend in the AFC North or you're looking at more 5-11 and 4-12 seasons.

3. Of the eight teams still in the playoffs, all but Seattle ranked in the top eight of the fewest points allowed. In terms of yards allowed, five of the eight playoff teams ranked in the top 10: Pittsburgh (No. 2), Jets (No. 3), Packers (No. 5), Bears (No. 9) and Ravens (No. 10). For good reason, the Browns are focusing on improving the offense -- but you still needed to pay a lot of attention to the defense to advance in the postseason.

4. That's why it's reassuring that the Browns have reportedly asked permission to talk to Dick Jauron, the former NFL head coach for nine seasons in Buffalo and Chicago -- and currently the Eagles' defensive back coach. At 60, Jauron would bring some maturity to the coaching staff. He also may be at the point in his career where he realizes being a head coach is not in his future, but he can make a real impact on defense and also helping a 45-year-old coach such as Shurmur learn his new job.

5. Another name that makes sense is Dave Wannstedt, who was recently fired as the University of Pittsburgh's head coach. He also was the head coach of the Bears and Dolphins. At 58, he may be ready to serve as a defensive coordinator for the right team. Certainly, he is in great demand in the NFL. Wannstedt and Jauron both run the 4-3, as opposed to the 3-4 used by Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini in the past six years. That would mean altering the roster, adding more linemen and not having as many linebackers.

6. I've not heard his name in connection with the Browns, but what about Mike Singletary? He was recently fired as head coach of the 49ers, primarily because of his problems handling quarterbacks and the offense. But the Hall of Fame linebacker had the No. 13 defense this season. He runs a 3-4 defense but is not rigid about it.

7. What about Rob Ryan? He is being considered by Dallas and some other teams. Ryan remains under contract as the Browns' defensive coordinator, but it makes sense for him to move on. He was upset by Mangini's firing, and his style didn't seem to mesh with the new front office. The Browns' defense did improve this season -- ranking No. 22 in yards allowed, No. 13 in points.

8. The Browns must find a way to keep special teams coordinator Brad Seely, who may have an "out" in his contract which would have kicked in when the head coach was fired. Under Seely, the Browns are one of four NFL teams not to allow a kickoff or punt return for a TD in the past two years. They have allowed only 18.3 yards per kickoff return, lowest over in the past two seasons. They're fourth in punt return coverage over the past two years. As for the return game, when Joshua Cribbs is healthy, the Browns are among the best. Reggie Hodges was found on the waiver wire and became an excellent punter under Seely. And I still wonder why the Browns have so little interest in keeping Phil Dawson, one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL.

9. When he was named head coach of the Jets in 2006, Mangini spent a day interviewing Shurmur of the offensive coordinator's job. Mangini was impressed by Shurmur, who was the runner-up to Brian Schottenheimer for the job. The reason Mangini picked Schottenheimer was that Shurmur is married to the West Coast, short-pass offense. Schottenheimer is not.

10. Mangini said Shurmur "makes a lot of sense" for the Browns, because he is on the same wavelength with team President Mike Holmgren. He also worked with General Manager Tom Heckert for several years in Philadelphia. Mangini praised Heckert for working hard to find the players that the head coach needed, and being very strong when it comes to the college draft.

Whatever 'It' is in a head coach, the Browns think they have it in Pat Shurmur.

Jeff Roberson / Associated PressClearly, the Browns like what they have in new coach Pat Shurmur. Only time will tell, however, if it was the right choice.

"It" is popularly expected to arrive accompanied by bells and whistles.

Nevertheless, entering stage left, here he is, the "It" guy for the Browns, new coach Pat Shurmur!

Shurmur looks like former University of Florida coach Urban Meyer. The Browns would have won the news conference with a guy with a higher profile. Even Mike Mularkey, who did wildly imaginative stuff with Antwaan Randle el in Pittsburgh, might have produced a bigger buzz, particularly since a Randle el-type, in ex-college quarterback Josh Cribbs, is already here.

But humbler components are what "It's" all about here. The Browns say everybody in the front office now is on the same page -- same view of the characteristics of the players they will seek, same West Coast offense, same belief that quarterback Colt McCoy is where the future begins.

Yet too much emphasis on uniformity of approach is not good, either. Former Indians manager Eric Wedge and former General Manager Mark Shapiro used the same vocabulary in their MBA speak, even (how cuuuute!) finishing each other's sentences.

(Wedge alert! Wedge alert! Shurmur also used the word "process" about a half-dozen times. Going through the process, being part of the process, understanding the process, any part of any process should be banned in sports discourse as of now.)

Working in concert toward coherence is, however, no small thing in Berea. A survey of the reborn Browns would show exactly how dysfunctional the front office has been.

Team President Carmen Policy wooed enough 49er veterans here to warrant a spa instead of a training camp, with short hours and a soft workload for his graybeards. Coach Chris Palmer wanted "Survivor: Berea." He got it, while Policy fumed.

Generalissimo Butch Davis was the last word on everything, only many of Davis' words were excuses for the series of overrated, undisciplined divas he drafted.

Romeo Crennel fielded questions about controversies involving absentee GM Phil Savage, not himself. They couldn't be on the same page, because Savage wasn't even in the same library.

Eric Mangini, once Mike Holmgren became team president, was reduced to the base line of minimal expectations, citing all the close losses his hard-playing team snatched from the jaws of victory. Holmgren expected more passing and creativity, less praise of qualities that should be a given.

Now, at least from the promises of the first day, organized team activities won't refer only to spring workouts, but to group think.

General Manager Tom Heckert said he's been around some really good coaches, naming Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson and Andy Reid. Of Shurmur, Heckert added: "It's a lil' bit of a feeling. I don't know the final answer. But whatever 'it' is, you could see in those guys, you could see it in coach Holmgren, being around him, and I think Pat has 'it.'"

If "it" is a Super Bowl ring, the Browns have had head coaches who wore one when they walked through the door, but didn't win one here.

Bud Carson was the defensive coordinator for the great "Steel Curtain" teams in Pittsburgh. He had the bling. He also could take a swing, verbally anyway, at players. Asked to whom Bernie Kosar was throwing after a pick-six decided an overtime game in Indianapolis, Carson said, "Ah, who the hell knows?"

Bill Belichick had two Super Bowl rings as a defensive coordinator when he was hired. Whatever nascent qualities Belichick possessed here in his first try as a head coach, it was not the Churchillian stuff romantics expect. Belichick wouldn't look his players in the eye, mumbling when he spoke to them. It was considered so crucial that an ex-player was assigned the task of discussing it with Belichick. "It wasn't a big priority," the player said.

Butch Davis had the look of eagles. It meant nothing because of his bias toward his own draftees.

Glibness doesn't matter that much, either. Former coach Sam Rutigliano once excitedly proclaimed "Brady Quinn has 'It,'" and coach Mangini knows he has "It.'" If by "It" he meant timid play, inaccuracy and a ticket for a one-way trip to Denver, that was a spot-perfect assessment.

Shurmur brings a fine coaching pedigree, courtesy of his late uncle Fritz. He has a green thumb, shown in growing the skill set of Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and Sam Bradford in St. Louis. He will not bring dissonance or clutter to his relationship with his bosses.

"This is my first head coach hire," Holmgren said. "I don't want to do this again."

The search was a swift one. The wait will be longer to see if its result is "It."

Two leading candidates for the Browns coordinator spots are Broncos' offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, and Eagles defensive backs coach Dick Jauron, league sources told The Plain Dealer.

The Eagles granted the Browns permission to interview Jauron, 60, and he could come to town next week, a source said.

View full sizeStephen J. Carrera / AP Dick Jauron, a candidate to become the Browns' defensive coordinator, was named the NFL's coach of the year in 2001 when he was the head coach for the Chicago Bears.

McCoy, 38, who just completed his second season as Broncos offensive coordinator, is a strong candidate to remain in Denver as new coach John Fox's coordinator. Before taking the Denver job, McCoy spent nine seasons in Carolina, including seven under Fox as his quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. McCoy has also been pursued by the Chiefs for their coordinator opening, but is not believed to be a strong contender.

During his introductory news conference Friday, Fox admitted he'll make an aggressive bid to keep McCoy and other Broncos assistants.

"Yes, I have [talked to McCoy]," Fox said. "He has other options just like we have other options. Mike is a guy that spent seven years with me prior to even coming to the Broncos, so I might even know him better than the people here in the Broncos organization. I definitely hold him in high regard and he is definitely in consideration."

Browns coach Pat Shurmur declined to comment on the McCoy and Jauron reports during his own introductory news conference Friday.

"Because it's an ongoing process, I'd rather not," Shurmur said. "As I mentioned, there are a lot of things going on. Information obviously spreads quickly, so I'm going to leave that be for right now. I'm not trying to avoid the question, but again, the process is very, very important."

In Denver, McCoy would have play-calling duties, whereas in Cleveland, he might not. Shurmur has said he'll call the plays, at least in the early going. But if McCoy required that responsibility here, it would at least be part of the discussion. McCoy, a client of agent Bob LaMonte -- who also represents Shurmur and Fox -- might also be lured with an assistant head coach designation.

As for Jauron, who runs a 4-3 scheme, the Browns would be getting a coach with 10 years of head coaching experience, more than five as a coordinator and 10 as a defensive backs coach. He worked for three seasons under Browns President Mike Holmgren in Green Bay as his defensive backs coach. He worked there with Eagles coach Andy Reid, who hired him in 2010 as senior assistant and defensive backs coach after the Bills fired him in 2009. Jauron is also a former head coach of the Bears and was NFL Coach of the Year in 2001.

Shurmur said of his plans for the defense: "We're going to do the things necessary to build a very, very fine defense. That's obviously a very, very important piece of what we need to get done."

Ryan talking to Cowboys: Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who has a year left on his contract, was in talks Friday to become defensive coordinator of the Cowboys under Jason Garrett, foxsports.com's Jay Glazer reported.

Ryan, who hoped to be a head coach this season, also interviewed for the Panthers' head coach job, but it went to former Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

Ryan's twin brother and Jets head coach, Rex, also said earlier this week that he'd love to bring Rob on board.

Shurmur likes Colt: Shurmur spent a lot of time with Colt McCoy during the draft process last year and really liked him.

"I'm very impressed with Colt McCoy and I think he has the skill set, the skill and ability to be a fine player in this league," said Shurmur. "He's very talented. I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Shurmur described Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford the same way the Browns' coaches described McCoy.

"[Bradford] understands what life is all about and how to play the position," Shurmur said. "He worked very hard, he hung on every word and every coaching point meant something to him. Working with Sam was a tremendous experience because I think he responded in ways that most rookies can't."

Roster turnover: Browns GM Tom Heckert said will be a challenge for him to adapt the roster to the new West Coast offense and anticipated 4-3 scheme.

"We knew that there was going to be turnover here," Heckert said. "We have some age on the team and obviously we have to get younger. Pat and I will sit down and once we get everything in place, we will decide which way we are going to go in a lot of positions. There's going to be some change, there's no question about it."

ALLIANCE,Ohio — Wrestlers in Alex Utley's strata improve with age, but rarely do they evolve as dramatically as he has in the past year. Utley is a Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior whose reputation last year was for being unbeatable on his feet. He now is a power-hungry mat wrestler who has been dominating on top after spending much...

CVCA's Alex Utley. - (PD)

ALLIANCE,Ohio — Wrestlers in Alex Utley's strata improve with age, but rarely do they evolve as dramatically as he has in the past year.

Utley is a Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior whose reputation last year was for being unbeatable on his feet. He now is a power-hungry mat wrestler who has been dominating on top after spending much of last summer concentrating on weight training. That was clear in the first three rounds of the Top Gun Tournament on Friday at Alliance High School.

Utley pinned his three opponents in the first two periods, all in 3:01 or less. His second-round match was a mat-wrestling clinic. He quickly dropped Eaton's Dillon Gilbert to the mat with a bear hug. In the past, that would have sparked a series of kickouts and takedowns, but Friday he used four different pinning combinations to build a 10-0 lead and ending it with a pin on a power-half Nelson at the first-period buzzer.

"Last year, I wasn't much of a pinner," said Utley, who has orally committed to North Carolina. "I got away from it last year. I focused on my feet and got away from [mat wrestling], which probably wasn't the best idea. Sometimes I want to kick them and take them down, but I have to be sharp in all aspects if I want to win."

Utley's approach is with an eye toward his college career. He likely will wrestle at 174, and he wants to hit the mat running there. A state runner-up last year at 171, the weight training bumped him up to 189 for now, and at 5-9, 185 pounds, he's small for his weight class.

Utley (17-1) will be favored to win his first state title in Division III. But this weekend, his main competition is Huston Evans of Division II St. Paris Graham. Evans is the only wrestler to beat Utley this season, 3-1, in the Ironman semifinals. They could meet again in tonight's final. Evans is ranked seventh nationally and Utley is eighth. Utley, a two-time Top Gun champ, has the added motivation of wrestling in front of his hometown family and friends. He lives in Alliance.

Utley is one of five CVCA finalists, and the Royals are third with 103 points. St. Paris Graham, ranked second nationally, leads with 157 points and eight wrestlers in the semifinals, followed by Massillon Perry, 133 points and seven semifinalists.

Utley's semifinals teammates are Nathan Tomasello, the nation's top-ranked 103 pounder; Seth Powers (135), Matt Dobben (140) and David Gray (160). Junior Matt Meadows (215) nearly pulled off a quarterfinal upset when he lost to Graham's Anthony Wise, who hit a takedown on the edge to break a 1-1 tie with 17 seconds left and won, 3-2.

Sixth-place Mayfield and No. 8 Walsh Jesuit sent three to the semis. Brandon Birr (119), Mike Carlone (130) and Tyler Coleman (171) advanced for Mayfield. Ohio State recruit Johnni DiJulius of Walsh is going for his third Top Gun title, and is in the semis along with Cory Stainbrook (112) and Nate Skonieczny (135).

Medina's Mike Griffith (135) and Teddy Hammer (152) are in the semis, and Griffith will wrestle Skonieczny. Madison's Nick Montgomery faces Carlone at 130, and Mentor's Zack Forro is in the 160 semis.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

STOW, Ohio — Never underestimate the power of deliberation. It worked for undermanned Stow on Friday as the Bulldogs were as methodical as a world-class chess master and played their way to a 43-39 victory over visiting Brush in a Northeast Ohio Conference River Division boys basketball game.

Brush guard Dayne Peterson gets a shot off above Stow guard Michael Waggoner in the fourth quarter Friday in Stow. - (Gus Chan / PD)

STOW, Ohio — Never underestimate the power of deliberation.

It worked for undermanned Stow on Friday as the Bulldogs were as methodical as a world-class chess master and played their way to a 43-39 victory over visiting Brush in a Northeast Ohio Conference River Division boys basketball game.

With 6-8 senior Mike Garrison hobbled by a tender ankle and Mike Greenwell sidelined for undisclosed reasons, Stow coach Dave Close realized drastic measures might be necessary to slow down the athletic and quicker Arcs, led by 6-6 Pharaoh Brown and 6-4 Curtis Oakley.

While it would be inaccurate to say the Bulldogs took the air out of the basketball, they at least loosened the valve. Every possession was treated as if it were a winning lottery ticket. Seldom were passes a one-and-done circumstance. The Bulldogs, who improved to 8-1 and 4-0 in league play, made more passes during one possession than many run-and-gun teams make in five.

"With Mike hurt, we wanted to limit the number of trips he had to make up and down the floor," said Close, whose team is sure to improve on its 16th-place ranking in The Plain Dealer Top 25. "We didn't want to get him running up and down. He has been scoring well for us lately and he didn't do that tonight. But, what we got from him was exactly what we needed. We needed him to clog the middle and get some rebounds, and he did that."

The strategy obviously got to the fourth-ranked Arcs, who repeatedly fired shots from long range, even as coach Jayson Macauda repeatedly called for his club to make better decisions and get the ball down low.

"We knew it was going to be that type of game because Dave [Close] has done that against us before," said a frustrated Macauda, whose team slipped to 8-2, 3-1. "You have to give them credit. They dominated the basketball. They dominated possessions. We didn't do a very good job when we had the ball. We needed better shot selection, better decisions on what to do in transition. We just needed to play good, solid basketball with five guys working together."

Stow won despite a dismal night at the free-throw line, especially in the fourth quarter when it missed nine of 20 attempts and finished 15-of-25 for the game. Brush, which had 15 field goals -- three 3-pointers -- to Stow's 12, which included four 3's, made 6 of 9 foul shots.

With Garrison hampered, 6-4 Ryan Yurkschatt and guard Kyle Scelza supplied most of the firepower. Yurkschatt scored seven of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and had 12 rebounds, and Scelza scored all 16 of his points over the final three quarters, including two free throws that gave Stow a 39-35 lead with 42.7 seconds left. Junior David Walker chipped in with 10 points. Junior Mike Waggoner only had one point, but it was a huge free throw with 10.7 seconds left and gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead.

"Yurkschatt is a warrior," said Close. "If he can contribute like that, it adds another dimension to our team."

Brown came off the bench to score 13 points and pull down 13 rebounds, and Oakley and Ste'von Williams-Gates had 10 points each.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

MEDINA, Ohio — With the combined outside scoring of sophomore guard Kody Bender and the strong inside game of senior center Chase Farris, just about everyone in the Medina gym expected Elyria would make a run at the host Bees. Elyria's runs kept coming and Medina kept fending them off before pulling away in the final minutes for a...

MEDINA, Ohio — With the combined outside scoring of sophomore guard Kody Bender and the strong inside game of senior center Chase Farris, just about everyone in the Medina gym expected Elyria would make a run at the host Bees.

Elyria's runs kept coming and Medina kept fending them off before pulling away in the final minutes for a 53-42 victory Friday night in a Northeast Ohio Conference boys basketball game.

Medina's Kenny Kaminski did a lot of the fending, scoring a game-high 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. But he had help, especially in the fourth quarter.

"Everything we're going to try to do we'll try to do through [Kaminski]," Medina coach Jody Peters said. "He's very versatile. Obviously we have to have other guys step up and play. We had to work tonight. I commend Elyria. They are a team that's going to have to be reckoned with in our league. They made us play."

Colin Bradley and Mason Schreck got the Bees off to a good start in the fourth quarter by converting consecutive three-point plays.

Bender (16 points) hit two fouls shots, then a running bank shot to cut Medina's lead to 41-38 with 4:46 left. But it was the last time the Pioneers would get close. Kaminski and Jake Kinsey each scored a pair of field goals to push the Bees' lead to 50-40 with 44 seconds left.

"They're a really good team," Kaminski said. "They pressure the ball really well. All of our guards stepped up and played well tonight. That's what helped us. Against a team like that you just have to go back to work and execute your offense."

Medina improved to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the conference's Valley Division. Elyria slipped to 7-3 and 1-3.

"We made some runs at them," Elyria coach Brett Larrick said. "I thought we played very hard defensively. I thought we did a good job, but the problem was they're a very well-coached, disciplined team. We're not to that point yet. We made a couple of mistakes and they made us pay for them."

Both defenses dominated as Medina crept out to a 10-6 lead after one quarter. Bradley scored six consecutive points on a short jump shot, a second-shot basket and a steal and layup to help get the Bees rolling.

A drive by Logan Winkler gave Medina a 15-9 lead early in the second quarter. Elyria answered with a three-point play by Brenden Dickerson and a basket by Anthoni Horton to get within a point, at 15-14.

Kaminski closed out the half with two 3-pointers, the second with three seconds left, to give Medina a 21-16 lead. They were the first 3-pointers in the game for either team.

"They would trap the ball and I'd just pop out and be open," Kaminski said. "I just tried to let the game come to me. I thought I forced a couple of bad shots early. As soon as I felt like that I just laid back and let it come from there."

The third quarter was almost a copy of the second. Medina took a 27-20 lead on a Kaminski layup, only to see Elyria battle back. A jump shot by Khire Lateef finished a 9-3 Elyria run, cutting Medina's lead to 30-29. The Bees answered with a jump shot from Justin Letts and another 3-pointer from Kaminski, with three seconds left, for a 35-29 lead.

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.

RICHFIELD, Ohio — Revere has been doing a lot of things right this boys basketball season. But just figure how good the Minutemen can be if they do everything perfect. While the Minutemen were definitely not complaining about their 65-45 victory over visiting Wadsworth on Friday night, they were not as content with a 20-point win as you might...

Revere's Larry Nance Jr.

RICHFIELD, Ohio — Revere has been doing a lot of things right this boys basketball season. But just figure how good the Minutemen can be if they do everything perfect.

While the Minutemen were definitely not complaining about their 65-45 victory over visiting Wadsworth on Friday night, they were not as content with a 20-point win as you might expect.

"We wanted to put together four quarters," said senior forward Larry Nance Jr., who paced his club with 19 points. "We haven't done that yet this season. Once we do that, we'll be all right."

Ranked No. 14 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, the Minutemen improved to 9-1 and 6-0 in the Suburban League. There were enough positives to knock off the Grizzlies (5-4, 3-3), who were coming in off a loss to the state's top-ranked Division I club, Massillon Jackson, on Tuesday.

Give Wadsworth credit for rallying from a 20-point deficit in the first half, cutting the lead to six points at one point. But Revere got a nice fourth-quarter boost from senior guard D.J. Bettinger to put to rest any thoughts of completing a comeback.

"We had stretches where we played all right," said Bettinger, who scored eight of his 16 points during the final eight minutes. "We wanted to keep the pressure on them the whole game and get them tired in the fourth."

The Grizzlies entered the final quarter trailing, 46-37. But a stretch of poor ballhandling and consistent Revere defensive pressure resulted in costly turnovers. Bettinger keyed an 8-0 run with two driving baskets off turnovers and two free throws that pushed the advantage to 61-41 with three minutes to play.

"That's one of those things," Wadsworth coach Mike Schmeltzer said. "We want to be aggressive. But we seemed to make passes that take five seconds to get there, and Revere is too good for that."

Wadsworth faced the dilemma early of putting 6-6 junior Josh Kipfer on the versatile 6-7 Nance. Kipfer, who led his club with 19 points, picked up two fouls in less than three minutes of play and had to sit for a time.

Revere went on a 14-3 blitz as Nance scored eight points, six of them on free throws. In the second quarter, the Minutemen went on a 13-0 streak to build a 35-15 advantage.

But the Grizzlies rallied to score the final eight points of the half to trail at the break, 37-25. They got the deficit down to 39-33, but could get no closer.

"I know people will think we're crazy because we won by 20," said Revere coach Dean Rahas. "But [the players] were exactly right. We've played some good quarters, but we haven't put together four great quarters. That's what we want because we are trying to play at a higher level."

Revere seniors Ryan Wonders and Connor Edel each contributed nine points. Wadsworth senior Prescott Williams finished with 11 points.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168

Dan Mirman isn't much into carpentry, but if things go as planned, the Highland senior wrestler will have himself a set of bookends from the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament. A win in today's 135-pound final will give Mirman his second hoodie -- the memento given to the 14 champions at the Dies -- after winning the tournament as a...

Dan Mirman isn't much into carpentry, but if things go as planned, the Highland senior wrestler will have himself a set of bookends from the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament.

A win in today's 135-pound final will give Mirman his second hoodie -- the memento given to the 14 champions at the Dies -- after winning the tournament as a freshman.

Not that Mirman knows anything about wrestling in the consolation bracket of the tournament held at Firestone High School.

Mirman lost out on his chance to become a four-time champion as a sophomore but can join a handful of wrestlers as four-time finalists should he win two matches today.

"It's pretty cool," Mirman said. "I wanted to be a four-time champ, but it's all about winning the tournament right now. This is the year I've got to do it; it's been driving me crazy."

A runner-up as a sophomore and junior, Mirman did little to endanger a fourth consecutive final with wins over Buckeye's Danny Inman -- by pin in 1:55 -- and Canal Fulton Northwest's Kyle Harris -- by technical fall.

Overcoming obstacles is nothing new to the returning Division II state runner-up.

As a freshman, Mirman made a strong entrance in the high school ranks by reaching the semifinals of the Fostoria District. He looked well on his way to a trip to state, too, but his right lung collapsed before he had a chance to wrestle in the semifinals.

Mirman's sophomore year, weight issues kept him from the postseason before his second-place finish at state last year.

"It's made me a better person overall," Mirman said. "It showed me life doesn't always go the way you want it to. You have to push through it and conquer every adversity in life. It's made me a lot more humble. You have to take everything you have and be happy with it."

That attitude has put Mirman, the No. 1 seed at the Dies, in the driver's seat today.

But Mirman isn't the only one with lasting memories at the event.

Brecksville-Broadview Heights expects to be at the front of the bus as well when the second week of January comes around.

The Bees have won the Dies three of the past four years and are on a two-season streak. With a good mix, they could do it again.

Seven individuals reached the quarterfinal round as the squad sits in first after day one.

Brecksville's success can be contributed to a hammer of a schedule that includes the Ironman, Beast of the East and Brecksville Holiday tournaments.

Kyle Roddy (160) can attest to that. A returning state placer who will wrestle for Princeton next year, cruised to the quarterfinals with pins over Twinsburg's Alex Keller and Tallmadge's Jose Rodriguez.

"You really don't see the benefits of the schedule until later," Roddy said. "We might not have the undefeated marks like everybody else, but we have been in tight situations.

"Earlier in the year, you could face the No. 1 wrestler in the nation with our schedule. Now, you're facing kids that were where you were at the beginning of the season, and you're better because of it."

Quarterfinal action starts at 9:30 a.m., with the finals beginning at 6 p.m.

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

KENT, Ohio — Connor Siwik raced down the left side of the ice with an open look at the net. As the Shaker Heights forward neared the goal, he ripped a shot that found a hole in Holy Name goalkeeper Marcus Wolk's pads and into the back of the net just nine seconds into the second period. The goal...

Shaker Heights goalie Peter Shenk falls to the ice while battling Holy Name's Matt Cepis on Friday at Kent State University. - (Lonnie Timmons III / PD)

KENT, Ohio — Connor Siwik raced down the left side of the ice with an open look at the net. As the Shaker Heights forward neared the goal, he ripped a shot that found a hole in Holy Name goalkeeper Marcus Wolk's pads and into the back of the net just nine seconds into the second period.

The goal began Siwik's four-goal night in Shaker's 5-2 victory Friday in the Walsh Jesuit Tournament at Kent State Ice Arena.

"My teammates were just setting me up great," said Siwik. "I was just able to take advantage of those opportunities."

Siwik scored the go-ahead goal for the Raiders (17-2) a little less than nine minutes later and finished his hat trick with 12:24 left in the third period. He scored his final goal of the game with 1:40 to play, just four seconds after Shaker went on a power play.

Forwards Jacob Shick and Richard Grant each assisted on two of Siwik's goals. Defender Aaron Goodman and Jonathon Greenberg also were credited with assists.

Forward John Longman ended Siwik's scoring streak and extended the Raiders' lead to three goals when he bounced the puck off the post and into the net with six minutes to play.

Though Friday's game won't count in the Red South standings, where Shaker leads Holy Name (22-4) by two points, it ended with the same result as the team's first meeting when the Raiders defeated the Green Wave, 2-1, on Dec. 5 at Holy Name.

"It was a competitive game. Two good teams were really going at it," Shaker Heights coach Mike Bartley said. "We were playing with a lot of pride."

Green Wave forward Ron Narolewski scored the first goal late in the first period after Shaker goalkeeper Eric Sterin couldn't corral a Green Wave shot. Wolk was able to endure a barrage of shots in the first period and Holy Name took a 1-0 lead into intermission. But the Green Wave couldn't find any momentum in the second period, despite twice going on the power play.

Forward Dennis Meehan brought Holy Name within two goals at the 5:22 mark of the third period, but the Green Wave was unable to find enough offense to get back into the game.

Teddy Cahill is a freelance writer in Shaker Heights.

The Cavs start slowly, fall behind by 22 in the first half, rebound in the third quarter to get within six, but cave in the fourth in a 121-99 loss at Salt Lake City.

View full sizeGeorge Frey / Associated PressUtah's Andrei Kirilenko, left, fights for the ball with the Cavaliers' Ramon Sessions during the second half Friday in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Cavaliers coach Byron Scott admitted he was curious to see how his team would perform in its first game after Tuesday's humiliating defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

In that 112-57 loss, the Cavs set team records for fewest points in a game and largest margin of defeat. But after a good practice Thursday and a decent shootaround Friday morning, Scott wondered what Friday night's game against the Utah Jazz would bring.

"I'm anxious to see how we respond," Scott said before the game. "We're either going to come out fighting or we're going to lay down. There is no in between."

Actually, there was. The Cavs started slowly, fell behind by 22 in the first half, rebounded strongly in the third quarter to get within six but caved in the fourth in a 121-99 loss to the Jazz on Friday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

Antawn Jamison, playing in the 900th game of his career, had 26 points and 11 rebounds but the Cavs lost their 12th straight, their 22nd of 23 overall, and their 18th straight on the road to fall to 8-31. J.J. Hickson added 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Mo Williams had 14 points and 10 assists.

Deron Williams had 26 points and nine assists for the Jazz, who improved to 27-13. Utah had 32 assists on 47 baskets.

"It was a game of two halves," Scott said. "It was one way or another. It was the way I didn't want to respond in the first half and the way I wanted to see us respond in the second half. So it was a little bit of both.

"The first half, it was terrible -- 70 points is way too many. We've got to make sure the second half, that last 24 minutes that we just played . . . is how we've got to play against Denver. We've got to be that solid defensively. I thought the fourth quarter we just ran out of gas because we were fighting uphill so much."

The Cavs quickly fell behind, 16-9, and it looked as if it was going to be another long night. But they pulled themselves together and were within 25-23 on a 3-pointer by Jamario Moon with about two minutes left in the first quarter. Deron Williams, who had 13 points and three assists in the first period, scored the Jazz's final six points of the period as Utah took a 31-25 lead. It wasn't a great showing by any means, but the Cavs showed more life than they did at any point on Tuesday.

Then the bottom fell out. Before the Cavs knew what hit them, the Jazz went on an 18-6 tear that left the Cavs in a familiar position -- way, way behind. By halftime, Utah led, 70-50. All the old familiar problems continued, most of them defensively. Utah shot 61.7 percent in the first half (29-of-47), outscored Cleveland in the paint, 34-20, and on the fast break, 10-4. The Cavs shot just 44 percent in the first half while committing 12 turnovers, which led to 19 points for Utah. Manny Harris had four, and J.J. Hickson and Mo Williams had three each. Four of those came in a dizzying minute that saw Utah's lead climb from 38-31 to 44-31 early in the second quarter.

But Hickson scored nine points in the first six minutes of the third quarter as Cleveland outscored Utah, 18-8, to open the second half and cut that 20-point deficit in half. A 3-pointer by Manny Harris actually got the Cavs within 84-78 with 4:03 left in the third quarter, but Deron Williams found Paul Millsap and Raja Bell for jumpers that restored Utah's lead to 89-78 with 3:05 left.

By the end of the third quarter, Utah still led, 93-83. Then the Jazz used an 8-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to pretty much settle the issue.

"I was pleased to see the second half that we came out and had some fight in us, came out and played hard and got ourselves back into the ball game," Scott said. "I was very pleased by that, but very disappointed by the way we started as well.

"The first half, we just didn't execute defensively at all. The second half, we did a much, much better job of executing on the defensive end, and that got us a chance to get back into the game. We've got to understand we've got to do that for 48 minutes. We can't make up stuff. That's what our guys were doing the first half. They were making up stuff defensively that we just don't do."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

Williams played just one season in Utah, but it was a beneficial one for a rookie learning how to play in the NBA.

View full sizeGeorge Frey / Associated PressCavaliers guard Jamario Moon, right, dunks over Utah's Al Jefferson during the first half Friday in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Cavs guard Mo Williams credits coach Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz with starting his career off right.

A second-round draft choice of the Jazz, the 47th pick in 2003, Williams played just one season in Utah, but it was a beneficial one for a rookie learning how to play in the NBA.

"I learned the game," Williams said. "That's a system that teaches you how to be a hard-nosed player. Obviously you're going to get that trait from Jerry. . . .

"My time there was great. I always give Jerry Sloan and Phil [longtime assistant coach Phil Johnson] the utmost respect. I love those guys. They started my career off right. I couldn't have gone to a better place to learn how to play this NBA game, learn work ethic, learn how to work hard and compete. I'm very glad for that opportunity.

"Unfortunately, it was only one year, but I learned a lot in that year. That year has gotten me to where I am today -- learning the game inside out, learning how to be a professional."

Sloan has said the Jazz made a mistake not matching the free-agent offer Milwaukee made to Williams before his second year, but it's hard to argue with how things turned out for Utah. A year later, the Jazz took Deron Williams with the third pick in the 2005 draft, and he has dominated Mo Williams ever since. In eight head-to- head matchups, Deron Williams has outscored Mo Williams by an average of 17.0-11.8 and has outshot him, 42 percent to 31.6 percent. Deron Williams has averaged 9.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in those eight games, while Mo Williams has averaged 5.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds.

View full sizeAPAntawn Jamison.

Career night: Friday night was the 900th game of Antawn Jamison's career. The Cavs' forward is one of 23 active players with at least 900 games played and one of only three players all-time to have at least 17,000 career points, 7,000 career rebounds, 900 3-pointers made and 900 career games, joining Dirk Nowitzki and Scottie Pippen.

"I've been doing it for so long, and I don't know how much time I have left," Jamison said after Friday's shootaround. "So I take advantage of every situation, every opportunity I have. It is a privilege to be part of this fraternity as far as playing in the NBA, and if this is the only problems in the world I have to deal with I'll try to deal with them, have fun and compete."

Trade talk: Cavs coach Byron Scott figures he has enough on his plate without worrying about a rumored trade of Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace to the Cavaliers.

"I don't pay a whole lot of attention to it," Scott said of the trade reported by Yahoo Sports. "A lot of it's rumors, a lot of it's just people speculating things of that nature. My main focus is this team. My plate's full enough."

According to Yahoo Sports, the Cavs would use their trade exception to acquire Wallace, who has two years and $22 million left on his contract. But the Cavs are seeking a lottery-protected first-round pick, according to Yahoo Sports. The Bobcats have been shopping Wallace for several weeks in an effort to cut costs.

Odds and ends: Former Cleveland and Utah player Matt Harpring is now a broadcaster in Utah. . . . Since Sloan became head coach of the Jazz on Dec. 9, 1988, the Cavs have had eight coaches. The Cleveland Browns have had nine, counting new coach Pat Shurmur.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

Spring training is still more than a month away, but Indians fans are always in mid-season form with their questions.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerShin-Soo Choo still has three years left before free agency, when he would be 31 and in the late prime of his big-league career.

Hey, Hoynsie: How much do you think it would take to get Shin-Soo Choo to sign a long-term deal? Since he's three years from free agency, could he be had now for around $10 million per season? How many years would be feasible for both team and player? -- Steven Alex, Gainesville, Fla.

Hey, Steven: If the Indians were going to pay Choo $10 million a year, I think they'd want to buy two to three years of free agency. So if they reached a deal sometime this off-season, it would have to be for at least five years. There were rumors they were talking about a six- or seven-year deal before the start of the 2010 season.

From Choo's side, he's 28. If he signed a five-year deal, he'd be 33 at the end of it. He wouldn't be a spring chicken, but based on performance, he could still sign another good deal. Or he may bump heads with the Indians in arbitration for the next three years and hit the free agent market at 31.

Texas signed free agent Adrian Beltre this winter to a five-year, $80 million deal with a vesting option for a sixth year worth $16 million. Beltre will be 32 on April 7.

Washington signed free agent Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract a few several weeks before Beltre. Werth turns 32 in May.

What do Choo, Beltre and Werth have in common? They all have the same agent in Scott Boras. Choo's birthday, by the way, is in July.

Hey, Hoynsie: Did the Tribe go after Matt Garza? Shouldn't we have plenty of excess talent in the minors after years of trading stars for major-league caliber players? -- Stan Rogers, Cleveland

Hey, Stan: Prospects weren't the problem. Paying Garza when he goes to arbitration in the near future is. Of course, the Cubs could always sign Garza to a fat multiyear deal, another thing that seems to be out of the Tribe's current reach.

Hey, Hoynsie: Haven't read anything about what some of the Indians' cusp players like Trevor Crowe and Matt LaPorta have done this off-season to improve their games. If LaPorta struggles in spring training, who will be at first base or the outfield? -- Susan Mitchell, Cleveland Heights

Hey, Susan: Crowe is recovering from elbow surgery, but should be ready to open spring training. Last off-season, LaPorta couldn't train much because he was recovering from left hip and big toe surgery. Reportedly, he's been able to do much more baseball-related conditioning this winter.

But if LaPorta goes hitless in spring training, it won't matter. He'll be opening day first baseman. The Indians have to find out if he can play.

Hey, Hoynsie: Apparently the Tribe brass feels that players like Jayson Nix, Luis Valbuena, and Trevor Crowe have more upside than Jordan Brown. How did the team get into this mess?-- Dustin Potter, Athens, Ohio

Hey, Dustin: I think you're missing the point. Brown was designated for assignment because the Indians already have three left-handed outfielders in Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo. They added Austin Kearns to be a right-handed hitting option and they could also keep the switch-hitting Crowe.

There was no room left for Brown.

If you think they were going to play Brown over Matt LaPorta at first base, think again. LaPorta, the key player in the CC Sabathia trade, is going to play.

I guess if Brown played third base, he could compete with Jayson Nix. Ditto if he played second and could challenge Luis Valbuena or Jason Donald. But he doesn't.

If the Indians don't trade Brown, and he isn't claimed on waivers, he could still end up back in Cleveland.

Hey, Hoynsie: Given the current economic business model for both the Tribe and MLB that we've all decided to buy into, is there any chance that a current or future player will go into the HOF with a Tribe cap? -- Steve Cornelius, Avon Lake

Hey, Steve: The Hall of Fame decides what cap a player wears upon induction. If Omar Vizquel gets in, I'm sure he'd wear an Indians cap. The same with Jim Thome.

Hey, Hoynsie: It seems like the new GM has learned well. He loves to refer to the Tribe as a small-market team. Does being a small market prohibit success in trades and drafts? Are the Cards and Twins considered small-market teams? -- Betty Louis, Cleveland

Hey, Betty: I hate to break this to you, but the Indians are a small market team. When you finish 30th among 30 teams in attendance, you're a small-market team.

Last year the Twins moved into a new ballpark, drew over three million fans and had a payroll close to $100 million. St. Louis drew over three million as well and had a payroll of close to $95 million.

The Indians drew 1.4 million fans and opened the season with a payroll of $61 million.

Have the Indians had bad drafts and made lousy trades? Sure they have. Being a small-market team shouldn't get in the way of that.

-- Hoynsie

Friends, former teammates, classmates and coaches say the man Mike Holmgren and Co. has chosen is up for the task.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain Dealer"He was smart, tough, and a great leader," former Michigan State head coach George Perles said of Pat Shurmur, who was a college center at MSU before beginning his coaching career that has led to Northeast Ohio. "He's going to do well with you all in Cleveland."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pat Shurmur, his boyhood dream of playing pro football freshly snuffed, was about nine months into his new job as a marketing rep for IBM when it hit him.

The daily commute to the office in Southfield, Mich. ... The requisite suits, ties and wingtips. ... A lifeblood of cold calls, computers and copiers.

"He said, 'You know, Jen, this is just not for me,'" recalled his wife, Jennifer.

It was 1988, the year they got engaged. Antsy for the game he missed, Shurmur called George Perles, his old college coach at Michigan State, who took him on as a graduate assistant. Shurmur traded in security and a corporate salary for a stipend, shed clients and cubicles for sidelines and a headset.

"But he was doing what he loved," Jennifer Shurmur said, "and it was the best decision he ever made."

By this time next year, fans will have a better sense of whether Shurmur was also team President Mike Holmgren's best decision to lead the struggling franchise back to NFL respectability.

On Friday, Shurmur, 45, offensive coordinator for St. Louis for the last two seasons, was introduced as the 13th full-time head coach in team history.

Shurmur has never been a head coach at any level. He only directed an offense for those two years with the Rams. But Holmgren and his staff concluded he was the best fit among three finalists for the job -- and the right man to finally end an exhausting coaching carousel that's been spinning since the Browns' rebirth in Cleveland in 1999.

Shurmur's coaching resume has been dissected by the Cleveland and national media for days: 10 years as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia before advancing to the Rams. One season tutoring Stanford's offensive line. Another 10 years as an offensive assistant at Michigan State, where Perles says he knew within the first six months his former All-Big 10 center was serious coaching material because he coached like he played.

"He was smart, tough, and a great leader," said Perles, who made Shurmur his first ever college recruit after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to coach at Michigan State. "He's going to do well with you all in Cleveland."

A heritage of football

View full sizeJeff Roberson / Associated PressA linebacker and center in his playing days, Pat Shurmur focused on the offensive side of the ball and has been dedicated to the West Coast offense for years.

"Doing well" requires reversing season after season of double-digit losses and rising to the level of powerful conference rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

No small feat. Yet friends, former teammates, classmates and coaches say the man Holmgren and Co. has chosen is up for the task. They describe a grounded overachiever, a doctor's son raised in a traditional Catholic household in suburban Detroit.

His uncle, Fritz, was a Green Bay assistant who shared in Holmgren's greatest football triumphs. The Browns' president admitted pedigree had at least something to do with his choice for the job, but those who know Shurmur say he's a man who has out-thought and out-worked his way to any success he's gained on and off the field.

"The whole Shurmur family was all the same way," said Wes Wishart, who coached the Browns' new coach and his two younger brothers to state title games at Divine Child High School, a mid-sized Catholic school in Dearborn, Mich. (Former Browns quarterback Gary Danielson is an alum.)

Shurmur, the oldest of four, was a three-sport star in high school who may have been as talented as a left-handed pitcher and first-baseman as he was on the football field.

As a senior, he was a coveted All-State middle linebacker who also played center and tackle on offense. Perles and Michigan's Bo Schembechler paid personal recruiting visits.

His father, Joe Shurmur, was an All-American football star at Albion College, coached by his brother, Fritz. But Joe, an orthopedic surgeon who died from cancer in 1996 less than a month before his 55th birthday, and his wife Barbara, who was a nurse, equally stressed academics. Daughter Shelly, a year younger than Pat, is a non-practicing lawyer in Milwaukee. She lived in Elyria and Fairview Park in the early 1990s when her husband, who earned a master's degree in business at Baldwin-Wallace, worked for Ford. Son Joe, the third oldest, is a hotel manager in Detroit. Robert, the youngest, is a rheumatologist in Battle Creek, Mich., who lived in Shaker Heights while interning at the Cleveland Clinic.

Pat Shurmur was an honors student as well, among the top in his graduating class of about 220.

"The teachers loved him," said Scott Dickey, Divine Child's alumni director who played football and baseball with Shurmur. "He was one of those types of kids you wanted in class."

When Perles took the job at Michigan State, he went after Shurmur hard, leaning on his connection to Shurmur's dad through Uncle Fritz.

"[Pittsburgh Steelers coach] Chuck Noll told me you win with smart players, you can't win with dummies," he said. "Pat had all those ingredients."

Perles won him over. By his senior year in college, so did a sophomore named Jennifer Collette, a physiology major from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who swam competitively. A four-year letter-winner on the Spartan swimming team, she was All-Big 10 in 1986, a three-time Academic All-Big 10 and still ranks among the school's top 10 record times in three events.

The two met while working out in the weight room. They've been together ever since.

The best man at their wedding was former Spartan linebacker Shane Bullough, from Cincinnati Moeller High School. The two have been friends since Day One of their freshman year at Michigan State. They roomed together because Shurmer's uncle and Bullough's dad were NFL coaching buddies.

"Pat's always been a very focused, intense, competitive, also caring, fun, individual," said Bullough, whose oldest son is now a Spartan.

And determined.

Never strays from the next task

View full sizeMichigan State University photoPat Shurmur, with Spartans star Lorenzo White, during his playing career at Michigan State. "The thing about Pat," said former NFL running back Lorenzo White (34, who ran behind Shurmur), "is he was smart and quick and had the determination to work harder because he was smaller."

Shurmur arrived as a linebacker, but a knee injury his freshman year sidelined him as a sophomore and limited his side-to-side mobility. Although undersized for the position, the coaches switched him to center on an offensive line that featured left tackle and future NFL No. 1 pick Tony Mandarich. Shurmur quickly demonstrated a ferocity that made up for his lack of girth.

"The thing about Pat," said former NFL running back and all-time MSU rushing leader Lorenzo White, who ran behind Shurmur, "is he was smart and quick and had the determination to work harder because he was smaller."

By the time he was through, Shurmur was a four-year letterman and earned All-Big 10 and All-American honorable mention honors as a center in 1987. He co-captained the Michigan State team to a 9-2-1 record and a 20-17 victory over USC in the 1988 Rose Bowl.

Former Spartan quarterback Bobby McAllister said Shurmur, the first graduate student to play for Michigan State, was mature beyond his years. In player-only meetings, he would stress staying focused on the mission, keeping an eye on the prize. During games, Shurmur would pull him aside to tell the quarterback what he was seeing during games defensively to help him.

Above all, he was steady, never flustered.

"Like after the Rose Bowl," McAllister said. "We were all celebrating, clapping and hugging. He was happy, but he still had this business look on his face, like what's the next step?"

The next step, Shurmur hoped, was the NFL.

In the summer of 1988, Shurmur was an undrafted rookie free agent trying to stick with the Green Bay Packers as an undersized center. The head coach was Lindy Infante, the former Browns offensive coordinator during the dynamic Bernie Kosar era. Shurmur was cut.

"I think eventually," Shurmur said, "genetics catch up with all of us."

The back-up plan was to build a life on the master's degree in finance he had finished as a graduate assistant coach. The sales job at IBM was supposed to be the first step, then a law degree. But during his drive to take the Law School Admission Test, he imagined a career that demanded being stuck in an office and turned around.

"I initially thought I was going to rule the world on Wall Street," he said, "but when I got the taste of what coaching is really all about, then that kind of catapulted me into this profession."

Meanwhile, Jennifer, who was in pre-med until she met Shurmur, worked as a pharmaceutical sales rep until just before their second child was born.

The Shurmurs have four children, Allyson, 18, Erica, who will be 17 in two weeks, Kyle, 14, and Claire, 8. All four swim competitively, including Allyson, who competes at Boston College. Kyle is also a quarterback -- a position on which his father has built much of his coaching reputation.

The Browns credit Shurmur with developing quarterbacks Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and Sam Bradford in St. Louis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Coaching and family activities don't leave much free time, although his mother Barbara said he's an excellent golfer and "picked up a love of deep-sea fishing and diving" in first and second grade when her husband was stationed at the Key West Naval Hospital. The family still enjoys a vacation home there.

The whole Shurmur clan, which now extends to 10 grandchildren, ranging in age from nine months to 18, gathers for a week of bonding in July, before football camp starts.

For the first time, the training camp Shurmur reports to this summer will be under his direction.

Jennifer Shurmur said she and husband have talked about his dream of becoming a head coach in the NFL since Perles gave him his first shot as a grad assistant.

Shurmur wore a suit and tie for his first press conference as an NFL head coach. His shoes were polished and so was he, but not in a corporate sense.

"I knew flat out he wasn't going to be at IBM long. Pat wasn't a salesman," said Wishart, his old high school coach. "Pat was a purebred, 100 percent football guy. Selling goods, no. Selling hard work, selling himself, yes. Coaching was his destiny."

Browns' new coach must understand that the fan base is an abused football family.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerWith Pat Shurmur in place, the Browns' management team was fully in place for the first time since Mike Holmgren (left) and Tom Heckert (right) arrived last year. Now fans will find out if the trio can deliver for the long-dormant franchise.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to Cleveland, Pat Shurmur.

It's always nice to see a new head coach in Browns Town, where you are the fifth to open a season since the franchise returned in 1999.

One thing Browns fans know how to do is watch coaches being hired, then fired. They know how to get their hopes up in the August sun of training camp and then feel their hearts sink in the first snows of November.

That is what football life is like here, where the Browns have the NFL's second-worst record since 1999.

Pat, you must understand that your fan base is an abused football family. Don't ever say the word "move" during a news conference, even if you mean the team is moving forward. There is nothing good about the Browns moving, after what Art Modell did to the franchise in 1995 by hijacking it to Baltimore.

You grew up in the Detroit area, then played and coached at Michigan State. You were born in Ann Arbor. Even though you are in Buckeye territory, no one will care if you win some games on Sunday. But if you keep losing and are booed, don't blame it on being from Michigan.

It didn't work for Braylon Edwards, and it won't work for you.

You probably followed the Detroit Lions as a kid. You may think you know what it means to lose and the impact it has on the fans. After all, the Lions and Browns are two of only four franchises -- Houston and Jacksonville being the others -- never to reach the Super Bowl. But at least the Lions never moved to somewhere like Bangor, Maine!

In Northeast Ohio, we don't want to hear about their suffering.

Never say a kind word about Baltimore or Pittsburgh. That's Pittspuke to most Browns fans, who quote the late, legendary Godfather of Cleveland sports talk -- Pete Franklin.

If you must say something about the Ravens or the Steelers, try this: "I don't know who we want to beat more, Pittsburgh or Baltimore. We hate 'em. We loathe 'em. We hope they never win a game -- even when they play each other! We hope they tie, 0-0, and the stupid game never ends."

Then say something wise about Paul Brown being the father of pro football; the greatest coach ever. Throw in occasional references to Otto Graham, Frank Ryan, Brian Sipe and Bernie Kosar.

Especially Kosar. The fans here worship Kosar, because he loves the fans. Never say anything about a favored Browns player having "diminishing skills." Check with Bill Belichick and Modell about that.

Say 1964 was your favorite year, even though you weren't born yet. If you don't know what 1964 means to Cleveland fans ... in the name of Jim Brown, Gary Collins and Blanton Collier and beating Baltimore, 27-0 -- you better find out!

Once you do learn the significance of 1964, understand that your fans are the most miserable in pro sports, and proud of it.

Your last stop was St. Louis, where the Rams were 6-42 from 2007-09. You may think you know about an emotionally scarred fan base after spending the past two seasons there, and seeing how excited the fans were when the Rams were 7-9 last season.

St. Louis fans complaining? About what? The Rams went to the 1999 Super Bowl. You know what happened to Browns fans in 1999? The franchise returned as an expansion team. They were 2-14.

In 2003, the Rams were 12-4. The Browns were 5-11 and Butch Davis was building up to his panic attack that led to quitting the Browns in 2004.

In seven of the past eight years, the Browns have lost at least 10 games. No wonder Browns fans have their own language.

When they scream, "Metcalf up the middle," it's not a play suggestion. If you hear about Red Right 88, the proper response is wailing and gnashing of teeth. If someone mentions The Fumble, a moment of silence is in order.

Whatever you do, never, ever even think about putting a logo on those orange helmets. Don't talk about how the weather is cold. Fans here revel in frostbite and chattering teeth.

You are in Browns Town, where the team has won one playoff game since 1989. That was in 1994, a year before the move was announced. The Browns have been back to the postseason once since -- a loss in 2002.

Assuming Colt McCoy opens 2011 at quarterback, he will be the fourth to start a season in the past four years -- and the 10th to start a season since 1999.

This has got to stop, just like all the losing.

Of course Browns fans are howling for a championship, but they long for a team they can believe in, a coach and front office that inspires confidence and maybe, just maybe, two winning seasons in a row along with a trip to the playoffs.

You do that, and you'll discover the real truth about Browns Town -- it is, by far, the best football city in the world.

The victory marks the first time the CSU women have rallied after a halftime deficit.

It marked the first time this season that the Vikings (10-7, 3-3 Horizon) rallied from a halftime deficit to win.

The Crusaders (3-14, 0-5) jumped to a 9-0 lead and were up, 33-26, at the half.

"We didn't come out with a lot of intensity and passion and got behind early," CSU coach Kate Peterson Abiad said. "But we kept battling and never let them pull away from us. We received some great performances from everyone tonight, and you will need that in order to win on the road."

Elyria's Honesty King came off the bench to score 12 points, hitting two 3-pointers. Shalonda Winton added eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Vikings snapped a two-game losing streak at Youngstown State, overcoming a slow opening half.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The train is back on the tracks for Cleveland State, but Saturday's ride was far from smooth.

The Vikings snapped a two-game losing streak at Youngstown State, 61-51, overcoming a slow opening half before a crowd of 4,302 in the Beeghly Center.

CSU got 21 points from Norris Cole and another 16 from Tre Harmon to hold off YSU, which was led by Damian Eargle's 20 points. But the win came despite shooting just 32.7 percent, and for the third straight game point guard Cole struggled with six turnovers.

"It got kind of sloppy out there," Cole said. "The game really wasn't at our pace, wasn't at any rhythm we like to play at."

That was evident throughout the first half. There was some frigid shooting at both ends of the court as the Vikings took a 21-14 lead. But Cleveland State needed eight points inside the final three minutes just to get that done.

The Vikings (16-3, 5-2), who last played on Sunday, fell into a quick 7-0 hole before a Cole jumper in the lane broke the shutout. Over the next seven-plus minutes the Vikings built a 9-7 advantage before the Penguins (7-10, 1-6) got on the board again. Then both teams went cold for another five minutes before a Jeremy Montgomery layup broke the tie.

At one point in the opening half the Penguins scored just one field goal in 15:04, but only trailed by one point, 13-12. By intermission CSU was 8 of 28 from the field (28.6 percent), which was only slightly better than YSU's 6 of 28 (21.4 percent). Both teams had 11 turnovers.

The Vikings flashed a hot hand to start the second half, and pushed their lead up to 27-15. But the Penguins answered with a 7-0 run that included a Vytas Sulskis putback on his own missed free throw. One possession later, a CSU turnover led to a Sulskis layup, causing CSU head coach Gary Waters to call timeout. Cole then stepped up with a 3-pointer.

The Vikings put the game on ice from there, going on a 19-7 run for a 46-29 advantage that was too much for the Penguins to overcome. Harmon's 12 points in the stretch was key.

It wasn't pretty, but it was a victory. CSU plays its next two games at home starting Thursday night against Detroit then Saturday vs. Wright State.

"That was a good game to get out of the way," Waters said. "I would have hoped we had played better, but now we go home. We can't play like we played today and beat those two teams. But we can play better at home."