BEREA, Ohio -- Instead of riding off on his Harley-Davidson into the sunset, outgoing Browns president Mike Holmgren just might roar up to another head coaching job.
Holmgren, who will leave the franchise at the end of this season -- or before -- admitted in his exit press conference Tuesday that he's still infected by the coaching bug and almost sounded as if he regretted not coaching here.
Does he have one more stint left for that playoff-studded 23-year coaching resume?
"I don't know," he said. "I know this: I learned a lot of things in the last three years. One of the things that I thought I knew and now I'm sure, I do miss the coaching part of it. I really do, so ..."
So why didn't Holmgren, 64, descend from his ivory tower in Berea and don the whistle again in 2010 after firing Eric Mangini? For starters, no one really twisted his arm.
"I thought about it," he said. "At the time we were compiling a list of coaching candidates, I asked [GM Tom Heckert], the selection people, the guys who were involved in that, I said 'you don't have to say yes, but tell me tomorrow, should I be on the list?' And, I don't know if they were afraid to come to me and say, 'Are you kidding, an old guy like you, you shouldn't be on that list.' But they didn't. It gave me a chance that evening to think about it a little bit more and I did what I did."
What he thought about and discussed with his wife Kathy, was that perhaps he wasn't up for an all-consuming return to the field.
"At that particular time, I wasn't ready to do it again," he said. "I thought I'd be shortchanging the organization."
But what he discovered was, as president, how often he felt utterly helpless.
"What happens on the field, you have no control over really," he said. "You're just watching. Whereas when I was coaching, I always thought there was some way I could fix this."
Now that his job has been cut short by two years -- he was in the third year of a five-year deal that pays him about $8 million a year -- Holmgren feels there's more football left in him.
"I'm leaving it open," he said. "I said this was my last great adventure. I thought it was going to be longer and so we'll see what happens. My first goal is, if I can, help this team and these coaches this season. Then I'm going to sit back and catch my breath and look around a little bit and see what happens."
Holmgren made no guarantees he'll stick around through the season, which is what owner Jimmy Haslam initially said he planned to do. With new CEO Joe Banner hanging his shingle on Thursday, Holmgren realizes it might be awkward.
"We're going to take it a day at a time and see how it goes," said Holmgren. "My emphasis is going to be the football side of it. I don't have to do the business stuff any more. If I can help one player be a little bit better this season or one coach be a little bit better and I feel I'm contributing, then that could happen."
Holmgren, who was never offered a credible role with the new regime but understands why, has assured Haslam and Banner he won't be a distraction.
"I'm not gonna rock the boat," he said. "I'm not gonna get in anybody's way that way. I think I can help a little bit, but if it gets cumbersome or uncomfortable for anybody, then, heck, I don't want that to happen."
He hasn't made his pitch to Banner yet, but has extolled the virtues of coach Pat Shurmur and Heckert to Haslam.
"Jimmy knows what I feel about them," he said. "I don't think you can get a better general manager than Tom Heckert. I think he's tremendous. Hard-working guy, great personality, knows the college players, knows how to put a winning team together. He's very, very good.
"And Pat is a bright, new coach who's had to go through some stuff that not many of us had to go through when we were starting out. I believe in him as well."
He feels he left the Browns a better place, in part, because of emerging rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, whom he believes is a franchise quarterback. "I think so. I really do. I think Brandon is off to a good start. He's an excellent passer. I like how he leads.
"People don't cut him quite as much slack because he's 29. [But] he's done very well and I think there's a bright future because we've -- the organization has found its quarterback."
Holmgren, who profusely thanked Randy Lerner for the opportunity, is proud of overhauling the organization and infusing the roster with young talent. His biggest regret is not seeing it come to fruition yet.
"I so much wanted to put a product on the field and win some games for Randy Lerner," he said. "He certainly deserved that. I wish we'd won a few more games [but] I think there's light at the end of the tunnel."
The Browns are 10-29 since Holmgren took over. He said there were no regrets about the youth movement this year -- 26 of 53 players have one or two years' experience.
"I know how we were trying to build the team and I wouldn't change that," he said. "I'm hoping the table is set for the future."
He apologized for snapping at the media a few days after Colt McCoy's concussion last season and warning reporters not to come to him for playoff tickets -- a sound bite that's been played over and over.
"It wasn't my proudest moment," he said. "I apologize to you. I shouldn't have said it." Then he added with a smile, "so because I've confessed this to you, may I phone you for tickets when the time comes?"
Holmgren's legacy will include creating the Browns Ring of Honor and reviving the Legends program. It will include a two-year rift with Hall of Famer Jim Brown that he repaired this season. Ultimately, it could include the foundation for success, which would mean he was one himself.
"I think we're close, I really do," he said. "We've been in every ballgame this year really, and I think it's gonna be OK. I honest-to-goodness feel there are good times ahead -- soon. And I'll be rooting hard for this group from wherever I am in the next couple of years, because I think it will happen."
That's something Haslam and Banner could get revved up about.
On Twitter: @marykaycabot
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/10/cleveland_browns_outgoing_pres.html
james jones james jones aladdin black forest ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx
We?ve all heard the now familiar and slightly gross statistic pictured to the right: 4.8 billion people worldwide own a cell phone, while only 4.2 billion own a tooth brush. It?s shocking just how much mobile phones are taking over our lives. Smart phones and internet-enabled devices are experiencing the largest area of growth. The phenomenon of iPhones has grown 10 times faster than the last technology revolution, America Online. If you?re using email marketing to nurture your leads into clients and your clients into repeat sales, you can?t ignore mobile optimizing.
The American Library Association is once again supporting Digital Learning Day as part of our continued effort to shine the light on the work libraries do every day to support digital literacy. Digital Learning Day, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, is the culmination of year-long activities in K12 schools, public libraries, and among educators from all walks of life. This year?s culminating event in Washington, D.C. on February 6, 2013, will celebrate educators who collaborate to create inspirational learning opportunities for young people by effectively integrating technology use and practices in and out of the classroom.