Mike Holmgren Fired, Joe Banner Hired As Browns CEO/President

[TheImmortalGoud]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8511711/mike-holmgren-cleveland-browns-sale-official-sources-say

New Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, whose takeover of the team was officially approved Tuesday, will name Joe Banner the team's CEO/president and current president Mike Holmgren will depart the organization within 24 hours, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder.

Haslem has a news conference scheduled for noon and will announce the Banner move, the sources said. It is unknown if Holmgren's status will be addressed at the news conference.

Haslem will close his deal to buy the Browns with Randy Lerner on Oct. 25 but these changes will take place before then.

Holmgren, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, joined the Browns on Jan. 5, 2010. The 64-year-old Holmgren officially had the title of team president. He was instrumental in the hiring of current Browns head coach Pat Shurmur.

Haslam bought the team from Lerner for $1 billion, and the owners voted 32-0 Tuesday to approve the deal. Haslam, who built his fortune with Pilot Flying J truck stops, has been a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but divested that stock to buy the Browns.

Haslam and Lerner agreed to the sale in August just as training camp was opening. Haslam has said his mission is to bring winning football back to Cleveland; the Browns have made the playoffs once since returning to the NFL in 1999.

[ralaw]

Holmgren's problem is that he never got a franchise QB.....Holmgren should have made a stronger move for RG3. RG3 has basically saved Sanahan's job

[Guest]

Holmgren's problem is that he never got a franchise QB.....Holmgren should have made a stronger move for RG3.

True, but when you have the roster that he did, it didn't make sense giving up two first round picks and another second rounder. Lets face it, the Redskins had to make that move, where the Browns thought that Washington would not make the move. Cleveland could have waited, as none of the teams in front of them were going to draft RGIII.

Weeden's been solid, but honestly, he should have gone to a team that was closer to competing. By the time Cleveland is ready to go, Weeden's prime will be just about finished.

Joe Banner should finally install a good player development system and a strong focus on drafting, just like the Eagles. I am happy to have his direction gone from Philly, and hope that he does well with the Browns. What will be interesting is whether or not Shurmur gets fired, or if he is allowed to finish out the year.

[CrimsonGhost56]

:maynard: scared holmgren away

[Senser81]

Holmgren's tenure in Cleveland is a mystery to me. He seemed to be doing a good job at getting the players, but the coaches were always terrible. It was like the opposite in Seattle, where Holmgren and his staff were pretty good, but the Holmgren player acquisitions weren't the best.

I'm surprised Cleveland has been bad for so long. Thats hard to do in the NFL, where you are rewarded for failure and should compete every few years.

[Rudi]

Some Browns fans I know are rather happy with this move...then again a lot of my friends are Eric Mangini faithfuls who still want him to be the coach.

[Maynard]

it starts with the ownership. learner was a dead beat owner who did not care at all about the browns. he inhereted the team from his daddy and cared more about what i am told is a crappy soccer team. he hired the wrong people time and time again. I believe Mangini was the only person who really seemed to be turning things in the right direction. but his record was shit so holmgren was brought on.

holmgrens biggest mistake was wasting a year with mangini. he took control away from him, but then allowed him a full year because he did not think it was fair to fire the guy after 1 lousy season. If Learner didnt hire holmgren that year then i think mangini would have gone at least 8-8 under what he was trying to build. But instead Holmgren came along and brought in his way of doing things and players he felt were right and the team suffered knowing mangini would be gone. He should have just fired him instead of trying to be the nice guy.

then he hired pat shurmur who was an absolute mess last year....my god, that move alone warrants holmgren being fired. The only move i think was good was bringing on heckert. they seemed to be drafting solid players, but with such terrible coaching and development, the lower round players still look like lower round players. plus its such a young team all over, add in a young inexperienced coach and a this is what you get.

i am glad holmgren is out. he was a terrible GM in seattle and even worse here in cleveland. I will be even happier when shurmur is gone too.

[Guest]

then he hired pat shurmur who was an absolute mess last year....my god, that move alone warrants holmgren being fired. The only move i think was good was bringing on heckert.

Banner/Heckert = Success. I'm rooting for you guys over the next couple seasons.

[Guest]

Here is a pretty good piece from Yahoo Sports, and it at least gives a perspective on the team I didn't know about. Holmgren sitting in at the owner meetings for Lerner was not something I knew. Lerner didn't deserve this team if that is the case.

[Maynard]

Banner/Heckert = Success. I'm rooting for you guys over the next couple seasons.

its being reported that Heckert has stated that he does not expect to survive the new leadership and expects to be fired by the end of the year. Big mistake imo

Here is a pretty good piece from Yahoo Sports, and it at least gives a perspective on the team I didn't know about. Holmgren sitting in at the owner meetings for Lerner was not something I knew. Lerner didn't deserve this team if that is the case.

yeah its spot on. Since 02 its been like this. Butch Davis, then Phil Savage, Eric Mangini and George Kokinious, then Holmgren. nobody wants to play or work for a franchise that is run like this. being the joke of the NFL goes alot deeper than not winning games

[spider3ybanana]

The Haslam family is great. Good people...great businessmen. I have not doubt he will do whatever he can to bring back the Browns. Its funny he's in the news for his purchase and subsequent firing of Holmgren because he is, without a doubt, Tennessee's most generous booster. Word around K-Town is that Dooley is on his way and major money will be coming in to hire a big name coach...but Jim's money is obviously tied up elsewhere right now...lol.

[Guest]

its being reported that Heckert has stated that he does not expect to survive the new leadership and expects to be fired by the end of the year. Big mistake imo



yeah its spot on. Since 02 its been like this. Butch Davis, then Phil Savage, Eric Mangini and George Kokinious, then Holmgren. nobody wants to play or work for a franchise that is run like this. being the joke of the NFL goes alot deeper than not winning games

Yeah, I see that the Heckert rumors are making the run today. That would be disappointing, as I think he's done a good job drafting, but the rest of the team has just lacked everywhere else.