Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Already Plotting GM, Coach Replacements

Nov 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns former running back Jim Brown (L) talks with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (R) before the Browns play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is “laying the groundwork” to find a new coach and general manager, after a report said Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer could be fired as early as Sunday night.

Cleveland Browns GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine may never make it to “Black Monday” because a report from Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot said Jimmy Haslam may fire his top two football men as early as Sunday night.

Why must Haslam act so swiftly?

There could be at least nine teams looking to fill NFL head coaching vacancies come Monday. If Haslam wants to land one of the hot candidates, he’ll need to get his ducks in a row very quickly.

If you’ll remember, it seemed as though the Browns “settled” for Mike Pettine after Haslam blew the front office up after the 2013 season. The Browns were perceived as being “toxic” nationally, and big names such as Adam Gase wanted nothing to do with Haslam, or his organization.

Cabot wrote:

"“League sources said Haslam has already been laying the groundwork for their replacements. The competition will be fierce and he has to act fast. Interviews could be scheduled as quickly as Sunday night.”"

Haslam will undoubtedly catch some national blowback for dumping kerosene and matches on his front office for the second time in three seasons, so he’ll want to avoid further embarrassment by engaging in a drawn-out coaching search.

Gase, who has sense moved on from Denver and is the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, will likely be pursued by the Browns again.

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Unlike two winter’s ago, the Browns job may be attractive to Gase because he may be able to team up with Peyton Manning, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The two were wildy successful together during Manning’s first two year’s in Denver. Since then, Gase has turned Jay Cutler into a commodity, and the offensive guru looks like a genius in a quarterback-driven league.

“Cleveland could be the most intriguing option for Gase, who perhaps could persuade Peyton Manning to join Gase for one final season that would be more about erasing the memory of a horrendous 2015 for Peyton than chasing a Super Bowl title,” Florio wrote.

The writing is on the wall for Pettine, who met with Jimmy Haslam on Friday. The second-year Browns coach was told a decision on his future would be coming on Monday. Pettine shared that news with his assistant coaches, who left that meeting feeling Pettine would be fired, according to Cabot.

As for Farmer, the Browns have been linked to NFL Hall of Fame contributor Ron Wolf, the architect of the Green Bay Packers of the 1990s.

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Wolf would serve as a consultant to help the Browns find their next football czar. Some names of eventual Farmer replacements, which includes Wolf’s son, Eliot Wolf, can be read here.

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