LIVE BLOG: Browns Fire Shurmur, Heckert
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert, Fox 8 Sports reporter John Telich has learned.
Team officials will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m.
In the meantime, follow the developing details of this story in our live blog, below:
P.J.: Haslam: The two of us feel a tremendous responsibility to get this thing right. We both have been in position to hire people for key positions
P.J.: Banner said they will apply the Rooney rule to both candidates for head coach and personnel director
P.J.: Haslam said the coach and personnel director have to be connected at the hip
P.J.: Haslam said Sooner is preferable for naming head coach but we’ll wait as long as we have to to get the right guy
P.J.: Haslam said Our focus right now is getting the right head coach
P.J.: There is a chance some assistants could stay on with the team but it would be up to a the new head coach
P.J.: Banner said I think we have a foundation that can move forward
P.J.: Haslam says it was individual decisions on both firing of Heckert and Shurmur
P.J.: Haslam says there is not a top guy on his list he really wants
P.J.: Banner says depending on coach; that will depend how much power the coach has on personnel decisions and that is why coach is most important hiring
Fox 8 Sports reporters P.J. Ziegler and John Telich hard at work during the press conference.
P.J.: Haslam said you are looking at the two most impatient people on the stage (Haslam Banner) want to build this right (On whether Browns can make playoffs next year)
P.J.: Haslam said Our goal is to build a consistent championship team. Our goal is to be good for a long period of time.
P.J.: We needed to create fresh energy and start and strong leadership and that is why Shurmur was not retained as head coach
P.J.: Haslam said the head coach will have options on the playing roster
P.J.: Strong leadership is what Banner and Haslam are looking for in head coach, will explore all options (NFL or college)
P.J.: Head coach will play a bigger role going forward, would like to hire head coach first
P.J.: We feel very good about this opportunity here even with 10 teams possibly looking for head coaches
P.J.: Haslam said he and Banner met with the coaching staff, we will grant them the opportunity to meet with other teams
P.J.: Banner says it was a very tough and emotional decision to let both guys go.
P.J.: If it takes a week that is great, if it takes a month, whatever it takes to get the best candidates (Coach and Personnel director)
P.J.: We will not comment specifically on any candidates for any moves going forward. The only two who know about any personnel are Haslam and Banner
P.J.: Both guys left the organization better than they came. Want to thank them and wish their families the best going forward
P.J.: It was a very professional meeting with Heckert and Shurmur this AM
P.J.: Banner and Haslam have arrived in the media room
P.J.: Press room here in Berea full as we await Haslam and Banner news conference.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner are scheduled to meet with the press at 11:30AM with the latest on the firing of head coach Pat Shurmur and General Manager Tom Heckert.
And that wraps up the Banner/Haslem news conference