Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 2:09 PM     Updated: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 2:15 PM

It looks like LeBron James is not the only former sports person from Cleveland that took his talents to South Beach.

Former Browns assistant coach Bryan Cox is now the pass rush coach for the Miami Dolphins. That’s right. The pass rush coach.

This is the second fromer Browns coach (under Eric Mangini) to get hired by the Dolphins.

SunSentinel.com reporter Mike Beradino writes how offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was the other. And like Cox, Daboll was with Mangini in Cleveland and with the New York Jets.

And it looks like Beradino is not too happy about the hiring of Cox at his new position.

What next? The “set-the-edge” coach? The “tackle-to-the-ground” coach? Or maybe a “stiff-arm in the second level” coach?
Here’s an idea. Why don’t the Dolphins hire Chris Carter as the NFL’s first-ever touchdown coach?
 

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Pat Shurmur quickly turned rookie quarterback Sam Bradford into a rising NFL star. Shurmur’s next project will be tougher.

The Cleveland Browns are no easy fix.

Shurmur, St. Louis’ offensive coordinator the past two years, was hired by the Browns on Thursday, ending a search for their fifth coach since 1999 that began when team president Mike Holmgren fired Eric Mangini on Jan. 3 after his second straight 11-loss season.

Shurmur isn’t a big-name hire, and his addition won’t trigger a celebration by Browns fans or a rush of season-ticket requests.

But to Holmgren, the 45-year-old’s last name means success.

Shurmur’s late uncle, Fritz, was Holmgren’s defensive coordinator in Green Bay when the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1996. And in hiring a candidate with no head coaching experience, Holmgren is following the same path he took in getting to the top of his profession.

Like Shurmur, Holmgren was a quarterbacks coach and an offensive coordinator before getting the Packers’ job in 1992. When Shurmur, who was the first of three known candidates to be interviewed, sat across the desk from Holmgren, Cleveland’s top football executive may have seen a younger version of himself.

“Pat is a bright, young man who grew up in football and around the coaching profession,” Holmgren said. “I came away from our interview very impressed with him as a person, his extensive knowledge of the game and his track record of success as an assistant coach in this league.

“Most importantly, I feel as though he possesses the necessary qualities which make him the right man to lead our football team.”

The Browns have a been a mess for far too long. In a league where quick turnarounds are common, they’ve been an exception to the rule. Cleveland has made the AFC playoffs just once and had nine double-digit loss seasons in 13 years. Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel and Mangini each failed in trying to build a consistent winner in Cleveland’s expansion era. Continued…

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CLEVELAND – Pat Shurmur’s first head coaching gig is a big one.

The Cleveland Browns hired St. Louis’ offensive coordinator on Thursday, ending a search for their fifth coach since 1999 that began when Eric Mangini was fired on Jan. 3. Shurmur was the first candidate interviewed by Browns president Mike Holmgren.

Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel and Mangini each failed in trying to build a consistent winner in Cleveland’s expansion era. Now it’s Shurmur’s turn. The 45-year-old, whose uncle, Fritz, worked under Holmgren in Green Bay, will take over a team that has made just one playoff appearance in 13 years.

Mangini was fired after his second 5-11 season.

The Browns will introduce Shurmur as their 13th coach Friday in a news conference at their Berea, Ohio, headquarters.

Although he promised a “wide” coaching search, Holmgren is only known to have met with Shurmur, Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Interviews with potential candidates Jon Gruden and John Fox never got past an exploratory phone call.

Shurmur emerged as the front-runner in recent days and no one caught him.

He has deep connections with Cleveland’s front office. He spent eight years working with Browns general manager Tom Heckert. Shurmur never worked directly with Holmgren, but he learned the West Coast offense under Andy Reid, one of Holmgren’s closest friends.

“I have the utmost respect for Coach Holmgren and Tom Heckert, and I am impressed with the direction in which they have this franchise going,” Shurmur said. “I have known Tom for most of my pro coaching career, and while we were in Philadelphia, he and I developed an outstanding relationship.

“I am looking forward to this challenge and can’t wait to get started in helping to build the Browns back to one of the elite teams in the NFL.”

Shurmur’s agent, Bob LaMonte, who also represents Holmgren and Heckert, arrived Thursday to complete a contract, and the sides only needed a few hours to work out details.

When Holmgren began his first coaching search as an NFL executive, he promised head coaching experience would not be a requirement for Mangini’s successor. He kept his word.

“Pat is a bright, young man who grew up in football and around the coaching profession,” Holmgren said. “I came away from our interview very impressed with him as a person, his extensive knowledge of the game and his track record of success as an assistant coach in this league.

“Most importantly, I feel as though he possesses the necessary qualities which make him the right man to lead our football team.”

Shurmur’s hiring won’t trigger any wild celebration or a rush to the box office by Browns fans, who have to trust Holmgren’s keen eye for coaching talent. Holmgren, after all, was the one who hired an up-and-coming Gruden and Reid.

Shurmur has a knack for developing young quarterbacks, and the Browns have a promising one in Colt McCoy.

This season, Shurmur helped Rams rookie QB Sam Bradford live up to being the No. 1 overall draft pick. Bradford set rookie records for completions and attempts. He also led St. Louis to a 7-9 record – they were 1-15 a year earlier – while throwing for 3,512 yards.

Before joining the Rams, Shurmur spent 10 seasons in Philadelphia, eight of them working with Heckert. Shurmur coached the club’s tight ends and then their quarterbacks, turning a raw Donovan McNabb into one of the game’s best all-around quarterbacks.

One of Holmgren’s goals was to find a coach who could help groom McCoy, who showed great promise after being thrown into the starter’s role last season.

That’s all the news for today.

CLEVELAND — Perry Fewell’s first shot as an NFL coach was temporary. He’d like to make his next one a little more permanent.

Fewell, the New York Giants defensive coordinator who served as Buffalo’s interim coach for seven games last season, interviewed on Tuesday with the Cleveland Browns, the third known candidate to formally meet with team president Mike Holmgren.

Fewell followed St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who met with the Browns last week. It’s not yet known if the club has scheduled any more interviews or follow-ups. It’s also unclear if owner Randy Lerner has had any role in the process.

However, Cleveland’s search to replace Eric Mangini does seem to be narrowing.

The Browns, who have kept their pursuit of a new coach cloaked in secrecy, were expected to speak with Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg because of his personal and professional connections with Holmgren. However, that meeting has not been set up.

Also, former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden appears to be out of the Browns’ mix.

Following Monday night’s BCS title game, Gruden said on a radio broadcast that he will not coach in 2011. Gruden grew up in Ohio rooting for the Browns, and it was assumed he would be contacted by Holmgren, who gave Gruden his start in the NFL as an assistant in San Francisco.

Gruden was asked by announcer Mike Tirico if he would get back into coaching.

“No,” Gruden said. “I’ll be back with you.”

On Monday, a network spokesman told the Associated Press that Gruden “remains committed to ESPN and to Monday Night Football.”

Former Carolina coach John Fox may still be on Holmgren’s list, but he’ll interview on Wednesday with Denver.

The only definitive coaching news related to the Browns was that wide receivers coach George McDonald has left Cleveland for the same position with the University of Miami. Holmgren has not yet met with the rest of Mangini’s staff still under contract.

Fewell, 48, came to Cleveland hoping to convince Holmgren that he’s the best candidate to take over a franchise that has had eight double-digit loss seasons and one playoff appearance since 1999. Fewell also interviewed with Denver and Carolina.

The high-energy Fewell is popular with Giants players, who appreciate the way he allows them to think independently on the field. He urged them to take advantage of any opportunities and they did as New York led the league with 39 takeaways this season.

Fewell’s visit means the Browns have complied with the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement that they interview at least one minority candidate.

Holmgren would prefer to hire a more offensive-minded coach than Mangini, whose run-heavy philosophy and questionable in-game decisions led to his firing after two 5-11 seasons.

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POSTED: 5:45 pm EST January 4, 2011

What are your opinions.

CLEVELAND (AP) – The Cleveland Browns will interview Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey for their head coaching job.

Mularkey said Tuesday he has been contacted by the Browns and Denver Broncos. He said he will speak with both teams “at the end of the week.” Mularkey previously coached the Buffalo Bills and has been an offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh and Miami, as well. The Falcons have a bye this week.

The Browns are looking for their fifth coach since 1999 after Eric Mangini was fired. Team president Mike Holmgren began a wide search on Monday, just hours after firing Mangini, who went 10-22 in two seasons.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Published: Tuesday, January 04, 2011, 10:13 AM     Updated: Tuesday, January 04, 2011, 10:14 AM

If team president Mike Holmgren thought coaching football was tough, he’s about to find out that selling the Cleveland Browns to the next coach of this football team could be even tougher.

CantonRep.com reporter Todd Porter writes how Holmgren has to convince the next coach how the Browns is the best job in the NFL.

Not since the team couldn’t convince someone other than Romeo Crennel to take the job. Not since Randy Lerner became smitten with Eric Mangini hours after he fired Crennel.

Browns fans are loyal.

But they’re not stupid.

This is a history-laden, proud team. But history and pride build museums, not championship trophies.

But as important to who Holmgren targets is as important as how Holmgren sells it.

 
We’re waiting.

News-Herald reporter Jim Ingraham writes how the Browns haven’t been a big show in a long, long time, and Browns president Mike Holmgren has plenty of work to do now that he has fired Eric Mangini.

It’s time now for The Big Show to turn his team into a Big Show. The ball is in Holmgren’s court.

And he knows it.

“I don’t want to have to do this again, so I have to get it right,” said Holmgren of Coach Search 2011. “Historically, teams that don’t do this very much, those are the teams that are the most successful.”

Now Holmgren has to go to work, writes Ingraham. We know he can coach, but now Holmgren will get evaluated as an executive.

As the search for the next Browns coach begins, Holmgren likewise begins a quest to prove he’s not just a one-trick pony.

  

 

The next Mike Holmgren

Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren has a list of candidates who could possibly replace Eric Mangini who was fired on Monday.

Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes that no matter who Holmgren is after, he should hire someone who is just like him.

A mini Holmgren, if you will.

He began looking for a coach who can take the Browns to the Super Bowl. A coach who can spend 17 years on the sideline and miss the playoffs only five times. A coach with charisma who can inspire young men, but above all else, who wins.

Browns fans who hoped that search would end with Holmgren as coach might be sorely disappointed. While Holmgren, the Browns’ team president, didn’t slam the door on his return to coaching, he took himself out of the initial running to replace Eric Mangini, whom Holmgren fired Monday morning.

 

  

What do you guys think about this.

Eric Mangini was fired as coach of the Cleveland Browns on Monday, only hours after the team concluded a second consecutive 5-11 National Football League campaign under his guidance.

Browns president Mike Holmgren, who spent days before deciding to keep Mangini after last season, sent him packing with two years and almost eight million dollars remaining on his contract.

‘This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought,’ Holmgren said.

‘Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do.’

Mangini’s 10-22 tenure ended with a four-game losing streak, including a season-ending 41-9 loss to Pittsburgh. The Browns lost six of eight after stunning NFL regular season wins leader New England in November.

‘Coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous,’ Mangini said in a statement. ‘Our goal was to build a team for long-term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal.’

Four coaches have gone 64-129 with the Browns since 1999, with Mangini, 39, being hired after being dumped by the New York Jets in 2008.

Holmgren, who coached Green Bay to the 1997 Super Bowl crown and guided two other teams to the NFL championship game, left open the possibility that he might become the new coach. He last coached at Seattle in 2008 before taking a year off ahead of his hiring by the Browns in late 2009.

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© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio January 3, 2011 (AP)

Browns president Mike Holmgren began looking for Cleveland’s next coach just hours after firing Eric Mangini.

Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini leaves the field after his team was defeated 41-9 in their NFL football game on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, in Cleveland. The Steelers took the AFC North crown with the win. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

(AP)

Holmgren would not rule out coaching again, but said Monday he is not part of the initial search to find a replacement for Mangini, who was dismissed after going 10-22 in two seasons. Holmgren sent out applications Monday for permission to speak with potential NFL candidates.

Holmgren said his search will not be limited to those with pro experience. He has no timetable to find Mangini’s successor and said it’s vital to get it right.

Cleveland’s next coach will be the franchise’s fifth since 1999. Holmgren is confident Cleveland’s job is appealing because “this is one of the great jobs in the country.” He did not divulge the names of any candidates.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Eric Mangini was denied a third season as Cleveland’s coach.

Given a second chance last year by Browns President Mike Holmgren to improve, Mangini was fired Monday following a second straight 5-11 season and one day after a humiliating home loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

Holmgren, who spent several days mulling Mangini’s future after last season, wasted no time and dismissed him during a morning meeting.

Mangini went just 10-22 with the Browns and finished his second season with a four-game losing streak. Cleveland went 2-6 following an upset of NFL heavyweight New England on Nov. 7 — a victory that seemed like a turning point. Instead, it only triggered a slide.

Mangini’s ouster with two years and nearly $8 million left on his contract seemed set long before Sunday’s embarrassing 41-9 loss, but the rout certainly didn’t help his cause with Holmgren, the Super Bowl-winning coach who may return to the sideline.

“This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought,” Holmgren said. “Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do.”

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With Mangini out in Cleveland, who’ll be next to fall?

He’s no genius

Eagles, Packers headline playoff openers with Week 1 rematch….

Back for more

Saints head into playoffs looking out of sorts.

Sync or swim

Congratulations, NFL. A 7-9 team is in the playoffs.

NFL sub-division

Missed call looms large in Packers’ critical win.

Mighty relieved

Favre’s final game passes by in a whimper.

‘It’s time

Leave your comments on the news below.

BEREA, Ohio — As Eric Mangini packed picture frames and two years of football into boxes, Browns president Mike Holmgren was already looking for his replacement.

One day after another lost season, the search was underway in Cleveland for a new coach, the one as Holmgren put it, “can eventually someday lead us to the championship. That is my only goal.”

Attention Jon Gruden, John Fox, Jim Harbaugh, Marty Mornhinweg, Brad Childress and others: Holmgren may have you on his list.

For now, though, Holmgren doesn’t have his own name on it. But that could change.

Granted a second season by Holmgren, Mangini was fired on Monday, dismissed less than two years after being hired by owner Randy Lerner, who was convinced he had found the next Bill Belichick. The Browns went 5-11 for the second straight season, and although they showed some significant progress under Mangini, it wasn’t enough.

During a morning meeting, only hours after an embarrassing 41-9 home loss to Pittsburgh, Holmgren thanked Mangini for his efforts. Then, he told him his time was up.

“It’s difficult,” Holmgren said. “I’ve never had to do this before. I like the man a lot. But I want to win here. We want to win here. We did not win enough.”

At 10:04 a.m., the Browns released a statement announcing the coaching change. By 11 a.m., Holmgren was sending request forms to NFL teams asking permission to speak with their coaches. Holmgren did not reveal names of any potential candidates.

His search will not not be limited to those with pro experience or ones favoring a West Coast offense. And, he doesn’t have a timetable to name Cleveland’s fifth coach since 1999. Money, he said, is no object.

Only weeks ago, Holmgren hinted about a return to coaching. He hasn’t ruled it out, but the 62-year-old with three Super Bowl visits on a sparkling 17-year Hall-of-Fame-worthy resume, insists he’s enjoying his executive role. Still, the bug hasn’t completely left, and Holmgren may coach again.

“I’ll always be a coach,” he said. “Heck, people in the building call me coach. To tell you right now that I would never coach again, whether it’s here or any place, that probably wouldn’t be honest. As of right now, I am the president of the Cleveland Browns and my job is to find the best coach available, the right coach for this job. That’s what I am trying to do and that does not include me right now.

“I probably won’t coach again, but I don’t want to lie to you — ever.”

Holmgren has not yet spoken with Fox, whose contract was not renewed in Carolina, or Gruden, the former Tampa Bay coach and ESPN analyst who worked under Holmgren in San Francisco and Green Bay. Mornhinweg, Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator, is also from the Holmgren coaching tree and a close friend. All are probable targets.

Interestingly, Holmgren, Fox, Gruden and Mornhinweg are all represented by the same agent, Bob LaMonte.

According to several reports, the Browns have contacted the New York Giants about talking to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert will serve as the Browns’ point men in the search he described as “pretty wide. We’re not limiting ourselves in any way.”

If Holmgren can’t land one of his preferred candidates, it’s possible he will relocate his office and slide in as Cleveland’s coach. It would be a seamless transition, but that’s the backup plan. For now, Holmgren’s entering his first coaching search, hoping it will be his last.

“I don’t want to do this again,” he said. “Historically, if you look at teams that don’t have to do this very much, they’ve been successful. It’s very, very important that we get this right.”

The Browns haven’t gotten it right with a coach since returning to the league; Mangini followed Chris Palmer, Butch Davis and Romeo Crennel on Cleveland’s coaching carousel. The instability up top and lack of continuity perhaps best explains the Browns’ 64-129 record and one playoff appearance since their rebirth in 1999.

“The experience coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous,” Mangini said in a statement. “I appreciate the opportunity that the Lerner family gave me. I have a deep respect for the players that I have coached the past two years and how they have made a profound difference in changing the culture — a tougher, smarter, more competitive, selfless team that never gave up.

“Our goal was to build a team for long-term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal, and have provided a strong identity for this football team and have helped to create a positive foundation upon which the organization can continue to build.”

“

As of right now, my job is to find the best coach available for this job. That’s what I’m trying to do. And that does not include me right now.

” – Mike Holmgren

Mangini was hired by Lerner less than two weeks after the coach once dubbed “Mangenius” by New York’s tabloids was run out of that town following the 2008 season, when the Jets landed short of the playoffs.

For Mangini, the return to Cleveland was a professional homecoming. He began his NFL career with the Browns in the early 1990s as a public relations intern. Eager to learn everything he could to fulfill his dream of coaching, he held a variety of positions under then-coach Bill Belichick.

It was a new start, but Mangini brought some baggage from New York, where the brainy, up-and-coming coaching star quickly lost his shine.

Mangini’s first priority in Cleveland was to instill discipline in the Browns, but his heavy handedness rubbed some players the wrong way. He levied fines for violations ranging from a cell phone’s ringer going off during a meeting to parking in the wrong spot. He weeded out players he didn’t feel would adapt, trading Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards — the team’s top playmakers.

Some Browns complained Mangini’s practices were excessively hard, and a few players filed grievances with their union.

He rotated starting quarterbacks last season, but when Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn fell flat, the Browns were 1-11 and it appeared Mangini would be one and done in Cleveland. Then, just as Holmgren arrived, the Browns reeled off four straight wins to end the season, a flurry that bought Mangini another year.

At Holmgren’s urging, Mangini loosened up this season. He was more at ease with reporters, and the father of three dropped 50 pounds by “eating less and exercising more.” His image was improved, but the Browns weren’t any better and with Holmgren waiting in the wings, it seemed it was when, not if, Mangini would be let go.

But more bad luck befell Mangini.

All three quarterbacks suffered high ankle sprains this season, with injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace pushing rookie Colt McCoy into the starting lineup at least one year early. McCoy was supposed to sit and learn but he handled the assignment like a seasoned veteran, and when the Browns stunned New England on Nov. 7, it appeared Cleveland had arrived.

Instead, the upset only triggered a slide. The Browns went 2-6 down the stretch, losing their final four games. Cleveland struggled in close games, going 3-9 in tilts decided by 10 points or less. Sunday’s loss dropped Mangini to 2-10 in the AFC North.

“A total debacle,” Watson said about the loss to the Steelers. “A total butt whupping. That was maybe the final straw.”

Holmgren was left with little choice but to cut ties with Mangini, who has two years left on a contract worth a reported $8 million. Mangini’s assistants remain under contract. Holmgren gave them the rest of this week off and will meet with the staff again next week. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan may interview for the Panthers’ open position.

After being fired for the second time in just over two years, Mangini addressed his team one last time for nearly 20 minutes.

“In football, you go through a lot of emotions with people, from laughing to crying to being angry to jubilation,” tight end Benjamin Watson said. “It’s definitely not a time to just say bye. I know it was tough for him. It was tough for us to hear it. But when you sign up for football, that’s kind of how it goes.”

Mangini was followed into the room by Holmgren, who didn’t provide any clues about who will take over. He challenged the Browns to get better in the offseason, a message McCoy, who spent time in Holmgren’s office this season analyzing film and his throwing mechanics, took to heart.

The trials of an eventful first pro season were not lost on McCoy. The former Texas star rose from third-stringer to perhaps the Browns’ future quarterback. He’ll begin his second year with a second coach.

“I’ve never been through a coaching change, junior high, high school, college,” he said. “It’s new territory for me, new ground. But it’s something that being in this business, being in the NFL, I’ve learned so many lessons just in my first year. This is just one more thing that has happened.”

In Cleveland, it happens quite a bit.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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CLEVELAND – Sunday’s disappointing 41-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium had many fans heading for the exits early, wondering what had happened to such a promising season.

“They started off great,” said Jeff Morgan of Parma.  “We beat the Saints and the Patriots and then all of a sudden we just hit a wall and just couldn’t do anything.”

The focus of Browns fans will now turn to the fate of head coach Eric Mangini.

Mangini and team president Mike Holmgren will have a meeting Monday to discuss the future of the team.  Whether Mangini will be a part of that future remains to be seen.

Fan reaction was mixed on whether Mangini should continue leading the team.

Doug Cavanaugh and his girlfriend flew in from New Mexico to attend their first-ever game at Browns Stadium.

“I don’t think we should start all over again but if we do I’ll support whatever Holmgren decides to do but I think another year for Mangini would be good for me.” said Cavanaugh.

Pam Dollar, up from Columbus with her husband and son for the game, agrees.

“Hopefully they’ll let Mangini have another year,” said Dollar.  “I don’t think he’s done that bad.  Hopefully one more year and then next year we’ll be in the championship.”

Mangini has a 10-22 overall record after two seasons with the Browns.  His record against AFC North teams is 2-10.

Bill Adams and his son Tom stated that while the team showed improvement overall this season, the way the year ended concerned them.

“Finishing out the season on a losing streak like that, I don’t think he is going to keep his job.”  said Bill Adams.

“They improved a lot but I think Mike Holmgren is going to bring somebody in that’s going to be more of his style.”  said Tom Adams.

 

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Browns coach Eric Mangini and wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi met in the hallway outside Cleveland’s locker room and shared a big hug.

It was from the heart.

It was also probably goodbye.

Mangini, who went 10-22 in two seasons with Cleveland, will meet Monday morning with team president Mike Holmgrem to discuss his future with the Browns. Nothing is known for sure, but all signs point toward Holmgren making a coaching change.

Mangini’s second season ended with a 41-9 beating by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who scored on their first offensive play and demolished an overmatched Cleveland team that showed some progress this season but faltered down the stretch and lost its final four games.

In the locker room afterward, a somber Mangini thanked his players for their effort.

“It’s a really disappointing way to end the season,” Mangini said. “There are not many positives to talk about.”

The same could be said of Cleveland’s uneven season. Although there were some statistical improvements, the Browns failed to build on any momentum created by upsets of New Orleans and New England, staggering to a 2-6 finish after shocking the Patriots on Nov. 7.

Cleveland was much more competitive this season than last. The Browns had 12 games decided by 10 points or less, but they went just 3-9 in those. And, in a bottom-line business where record means everything, the bottom line isn’t good for Mangini.

Still, a few of Cleveland’s players offered their support to Mangini.

“I feel like one man can only do so much,” said wide receiver Joshua Cribbs. “This is the biggest team sport there is. You’re asking one man in two years to turn around a football team that hasn’t been winning. It takes some time.

“We want to win now. We’re trying to win now. But it’s just impossible to put all the weight and give one guy all that responsibility and call him the fall guy for the way we’ve been playing. We have to own up to some things that we do and take responsibility. Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in. It’s all on the coach. It’s always all on the coach.”

Mangini believes he has the Browns headed in the right direction, and feels with more time he could make them consistent winners.

Holmgren may not give him the chance.

“I think the team has done a lot of good things this season,” said Mangini, who has two years remaining on his contract. “It’s difficult to feel any of those positives right now in the wake of what has happened. It’s difficult to really take a step back and look at that.”

If Mangini is fired, Holmgren could hire someone or appoint himself as coach.

The 62-year-old, who won a Super Bowl title with Green Bay and guided Seattle to its only title game appearance, has left open the possibility of a return to the sideline. He was hired in December 2009 by owner Randy Lerner to restore Cleveland’s franchise, but Holmgren has admitted it has been tough to watch games from the press box.

Until this past year, coaching is all Holmgren has known for nearly 40 years. He may be ready to get back into the game.

Holmgren went 161-111 in 17 seasons as an NFL head coach, making the playoffs 12 times and winning eight division titles.

Cleveland’s season was undermined by key injuries, including high ankle sprains to all three quarterbacks. Rookie QB Colt McCoy was not expected to play but was forced into the starting lineup and handled himself well against a tough schedule.

McCoy, who went 2-6 as a starter, also said it’s not all Mangini’s fault.

“The coaches can’t win games for you,” he said. “It’s who you have, the 11 guys that step out on the field and play execute. We’ve got to do a better job. It’s on us.”

McCoy isn’t certain about what will happen next, but he’s comforted that Holmgren is in charge.

“I don’t know that the future holds, but I know coach Holmgren is our president and I know he’s going to make the right decisions to figure out how this organization came become a winner.”

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CLEVELAND (AP) – Browns president Mike Holmgren will meet with Eric Mangini on Monday morning to discuss the coach’s future in Cleveland.

Mangini is 10-21 in two years with the Browns (5-10), who have shown some improvement this season but maybe not enough to satisfy Holmgren. Cleveland is 3-9 in games decided by 10 points or less and the Browns entered Sunday’s finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) just 2-5 since upsetting the New England Patriots on Nov. 7.

Mangini has expressed confidence he has the Browns headed in the right direction, and on Friday said he was excited about being part of the team’s future. Holmgren kept Mangini this season despite the club’s 5-11 finish in 2009.

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