Butch Davis Fired
It is now official that Butch Davis has been fired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
I think this had to be done, but I still don’t think Butch is a bad guy, or a bad coach. He was just a little too confident in his own abilities this time around. He wanted complete control of the franchise and it was probably stretching him too thin to make personnel decisions as well as coaching decisions.
He wasn’t a mastermind with the personnel, but he did some good things. Even though it hasn’t worked out, I think it was a good recognition that this team needed a new quarterback, and getting Jeff Garcia was a good idea. Sure it hasn’t been spectacular, but Garcia is a guy with a record of reasonable success. He certainly had a better track record than either Kelly Holcumb or Tim Couch.
Speaking of which, this was one of Butch Davis’ biggest blunders in Cleveland, and that was the QB controversy between Couch and Holcumb last year. I don’t blame him for questioning Couch’s abilities, but with a young guy like that, you either had to play him or cut him. Trying to keep him around as Kelly Holcumb’s backup was just a poor idea. And the circus continued into this year as Butch tried to trade him in the pre-season. The problem was that Couch was basically untradeable.
Speaking of trades, why couldn’t Butch get anything for Kevin Johnson? Why did he need to be cut in the middle of last season? Now with a depleted receiving corps, Kevin Johnson is catching passes in Baltimore. Sure, he isn’t the best receiver in the league, but he wasn’t the type of guy that you had to cut outright in the middle of the year. On top of that, look at what John Gruden did with Keyshawn Johnson in Tampa last year. He made him inactive and got what he could for him at the end of the year.
Finally, this brings me to the draft. Davis really didn’t draft all that well. Anthony Henry has been a bright spot, but Gerard Warren was bad. Jeremiah Pharms was a 5th rounder who was arrested shortly following the draft on charges that had been brought up well before the draft. Jeff Faine was a pretty good pick although probably too high at number 21 in the first round. Chaun Thompson has looked pretty good this year. William Green was a decent gamble even though it hasn’t worked out perfectly.
The 2004 draft appeared to be Butch’s shining moment. He still didn’t address the offensive line, but with Kellen Winslow Jr. and what appeared to be a good safety in Sean Jones, Butch had finally drafted some serious players. Until they both got hurt. Not Butch’s fault, but ultimately, the horrible performance of the team this year has to rest on his shoulders.
It appears that his stepping down was mutual, and that is that. No big deal really. I was already looking toward next season.
So, who is on the short list of future coaches here in Cleveland?
I am hoping for Jeff Fassell who did some good things with Kerry Collins and the Giants even though they were never that good.
deezo feezo Said,
November 30, 2004 @ 10:30 am
Personally, I would love to see Mike Ditka come back to coach the Browns. I also have heard of Al Groh from Virginia and Nick Saban from LSU. Both have experience in Cleveland as Asst. Coaches. Groh has experience as a head coach with the Giants.
Fassell would definitley help with our lack of discipline so I could see him as a capable replacement also.
I thought the player having input into the interim head coach was a good idea. If I were on the Browns and had to elect a new head coach, I would totally vote for Kenard Lang. He would be a sweet coach. “Imaging inside the huddle with Kenard Lang” It would be a media bonanza!!!
Todd Said,
November 30, 2004 @ 2:03 pm
To Hell with Ditka. If anyone from the ‘85 Bears comes to Cleveland, I say it should be the Fridge.
http://www.thefridge.net/
kiddicus maximus Said,
November 30, 2004 @ 4:23 pm
good riddance. he was a lousy coach. anyone in the NFL should be able to turn a team around in 3-4 years. Davis not only didn’t get us to the playoffs more than once, he got consistently worse as time went on. i’d be surprised if the browns win 5 games this year, even with dates left at Miami, Buffalo and Houston.
As for the new coach, i nominate myself. I would be a kickass coach for the browns, and with my many years of experience playing Madden (’00-’05) i should be a shoo-in. Coach Maximus. er… coach Kiddicus. they both have a nice ring…
Chris Said,
November 30, 2004 @ 7:32 pm
Time for a new approach. New for 2005: Self managed merit pay football in Cleveland. No coach, no player salaries, but each player gets $100K for every regular season game they win and $300K for playoff wins.
C’mon! Who’s with me?!?!?
mike Said,
November 30, 2004 @ 9:01 pm
i heard that seattle may be looking to axe holmgren after this horrid season. if that happens, i wouldn’t mind seeing him come here.