Cleveland Browns’ hiring process insight from NFL insider could be partial to blame for the problem the team is dealing with
The Browns are in search of a new head coach and are yet to fulfill the Rooney Rule.
The Cleveland Browns have been in search of a new head coach since Jan. 5 when they moved on from Kevin Stefanski. It’ll likely be at least next week before the Browns name a new coach — over three weeks after the firing was made.
Cleveland had second interviews this week with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
The Browns are scheduled to meet with Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase next week, and that’ll be the first publicly known interview that will go toward satisfying the Rooney Rule.
Browns’ hiring process could be a problem right now
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero recently offered some interesting insight into Cleveland’s interview process, which is unlike most others around the NFL. With the Browns in a spot where they can’t hire a head coach yet because of the Rooney Rule, they aren’t helping the timing with their approach.
“The Browns’ search process, which they have run a number of times, is unlike any other in the NFL,” Pelissero said on the Rich Eisen Show recently. “It plays to certain types of candidates. They are a data-driven operation in Cleveland, so they spend an extraordinary amount of time gathering data on their coaching candidates.”
You’re talking about taking a personality test. You’re talking about writing an essay. You’re talking about completing homework assignments going into both the first and the second rounds of interviews. It plays toward the types of candidates that they have in the mix. Which is very, very smart people in a lot of cases that just often happen to be tall, thin guys who came from Ivy League schools, though that’s certainly not a requirement.”
Cleveland’s interview process is clearly very tedious and that’s going to push some candidates away. So far we have seen new Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter and former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel cancel interviews with the Browns. McDaniel is the one who hurt because he could have been one part of abiding by the Rooney Rule.
If candidates have other opportunities they feel good about, there’s no point in going through the Browns’ hiring process that calls for writing essays and completing homework. The approach to having candidates do such things likely does have positives, but it’s a bad look when no other teams are doing it, at least publicly reported.
The biggest box the Browns must check off this season is finding a new head coach, and getting that right. So far the process is taking longer than it was expected to, but it won’t matter if the Browns can nail the hire.
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