In just the last six years, how many coaching changes have taken place along the shores of Lake Erie. The sarcastic answer is too many, but it is also reality and a very disturbing trend. We all know that professional sports is a what have you done for me lately business. Fans and the media could care less what type of offensive systems a coach runs or how much previous experience they have. We care about one thing and one thing only, wins. If you win you will be loved, if you don’t, get your resume updated because you will be hitting the unemployment line very fast.
The actual answer to the number of coaching changes that have taken place since 2010 here in Cleveland is ten. Yes, the revolving door doesn’t just spin out of control every two years at the Browns training facility in Berea, it has also spun like crazy at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence with the Cavaliers and at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in downtown Cleveland with the Indians.
Out of all of the coaching changes that have taken place just this decade, has any of them been named a head coach after they left Cleveland. Yes there has been, Brown and Scott both went to the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the iconic franchises in all of sports. How has that gone?
Brown was fired just five games into his second season in Los Angeles and was hired and fired again by the Cavaliers after just one season. Scott is still the coach of the Lakers, but he is certainly not bringing the showtime days back to Laker land. If not for Kobe Bryant being on his retirement tour, would Scott be the topic of conversation in regards to his job security.
Wedge was another one when he managed the Seattle Mariners. With the exception of time missed after suffering a stroke, Wedge’s time in the great northwest wasn’t great at all and he resigned after only three seasons. Wedge could never get the Mariners out of last place during his three seasons in Seattle.
Crennel spent two seasons as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Crennel coached the Chiefs for only 19 games and went 4-15. Crennel took over for the final three games of the 2011 season and was fired after the 2012 season. The 10-6 season of 2007 here in Cleveland was Crennel’s only winning season as an NFL head coach.
So now the pressure falls on a Tito, a Hue and a Lue to try and lead a professional sports franchise in Cleveland to the promised land so a parade can finally take place on Euclid avenue or East Ninth street. If any of these guys can’t get the job done, will their head coaching careers be over? Of course, only time will tell. Maybe one of our beloved teams finally got it right.
Perhaps we should have been a bigger supporter of Bill Belichick back in the early to mid 1990’s. He’s the only former Cleveland professional sports coach during my 40 years living in Northeast Ohio who went on to win multiple championships for another city and is certainly on a path to do it again, and with no spying or deflated footballs this time.
Without question, head coaches careers come close to being over when they leave the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame city. Add that to the list of things that need crossed off of Cleveland’s list of problems. Hopefully that will change soon.
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