The firing of Josh McDaniels reveals why it's important for an NFL team to have a strong front office, not just a strong coach.
View full sizeThe apparent improvement of the Cleveland Browns this season is a testament to the wisdom of a front office of shared responsibilities between (from left) team president Mike Holmgren, coach Eric Mangini and GM Tom Heckert, says Terry Pluto.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It happened again.
A team handed over the steering wheel of the franchise to a coach, and he crashed. This time, it was Josh McDaniels, who was fired by Denver this week.
There will be much discussion about McDaniels, a Bill Belichick disciple, and how more of those guys fail than succeed after leaving New England. There also will be a very fair debate about hiring an 32-year-old to coach an NFL team.
But Denver's real problem was the business model: The Coach As King. McDaniels made the trades, orchestrated the draft and controlled the roster. A year ago, the Browns' Eric Mangini was in the same position as McDaniels. He was the Coach Who Does Too Much, which often produces the Coach Who Doesn't Do Anything Well.
McDaniels won his first six games in 2009. Since then the Broncos are 5-17, along with two years of poor trades and bad drafts. This is not to dismiss the former quarterback at Canton McKinley and John Carroll as someone who has no coaching future.
It's to insist that it was asking for a disaster to hire McDaniels to run the Broncos, just as it was a huge mistake for the Browns to set up Mangini as the ultimate power in 2009.
Perhaps the best move by Randy Lerner since taking over ownership of the Browns from his late father in 2002 is the hiring of Mike Holmgren as team president. Holmgren wisely imported Tom Heckert from Philadelphia as general manager.
Then Holmgren kept Mangini as coach, giving him a chance to work with a front office.
These three experienced football men are why the Browns have their best shot of success since they returned in 1999.
A smart coach knows he needs help
Consider what Denver CEO Joe Ellis said after McDaniels was fired: "It's very likely that the plan will not empower the next head coach with the kind of authority that Josh probably unfairly had put upon him."
Their plan is to first hire a general manager, then a coach.
It's believed that there are only six coaches who control their teams: Andy Reid (Eagles), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Pete Carroll (Seahawks), Mike Shanahan (Redskins), Gary Kubiak (Texans) and Belichick with the Patriots.
Lewis could be out of a job after the season. Only Belichick and Reid have had sustained success, and they had real help. For years, Scott Pioli had a major influence in the Patriots' draft and personnel decisions. Reid relied on Heckert.
Yes, the coaches had enormous influence, but they also knew they needed help.
Mangini learned that lesson the hard way in 2009, when his draft was a major disappointment after he grabbed center Alex Mack in the first round. He tended to make trades with his former team, the New York Jets. The Browns hired George Kokinis as general manager, but that was after he was picked by Mangini -- and that relationship soon crashed.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore have dominated the AFC North this decade. The Ravens have a strong president in former Brown Ozzie Newsome, who hires the general manager and coach. It was only after Bill Cowher retired as Pittsburgh's coach in 2006 that Steeler fans discovered that General Manager Kevin Colbert means just as much to the team as the coach.
In Indianapolis, team president Bill Polian has kept the Colts in contention for more than decade.
Three heads, better than one
When it comes to the Browns, you can see the benefit of the alliance between Heckert, Holmgren and Mangini. This trio had a strong draft with Joe Haden, T.J. Ward and Colt McCoy in the first three rounds.
It's believed Heckert was sold on Haden, while Ward impressed Mangini. In the third round, Holmgren told his two football men that he wanted that McCoy kid from Texas. Yes, they missed when trading up for running back Montario Hardesty, who re-injured his knee.
But this draft appears to have produced at least three starters. They added Ben Watson, Scott Fujita, Peyton Hillis, Chris Gocong and Sheldon Brown in trades and free agency. Some -- such as Hillis -- were liked by Mangini, others by Heckert. Holmgren played his self-proclaimed role as "Big Boss and Chief Tiebreaker" as he helped his football men come to an agreement on drafts and trades.
Holmgren admits he doesn't understand everything done by Mangini and others who worked for Belichick. No doubt, some of Holmgren's ideas aren't the same as how Mangini views the game. Heckert is out of the Andy Reid school, slightly different than the backgrounds of Mangini and Holmgren.
But they seem to be able to work together, even if they don't have complete agreement on everything.
That's why it would be wise if Holmgren retains Mangini, who has learned to appreciate an active front office after his painful solo flight in 2009. Holmgren must see that many of Mangini's theories on discipline, defense and character do pay off. Both men have to know that Heckert has a real plan when it comes to player personnel.
So let's hope that Holmgren stays with Mangini, and the coach continues to work well with the front office.
That's really what it takes to build a strong organization, something that can finally transform the Browns into a playoff contender in the near future.