Cleveland Browns: Urban Meyer, Haslam hatching new head coaching plan?

The idea of the Cleveland Browns hiring Urban Meyer as its next head coach is tantalizing, but in reality, it seems like a long shot.

Urban Meyer being named the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns is exactly the type of move that would make the fan base forget this debacle of a season.

CBS Sports writer Jason La Canfora wrote that the Browns could be in for big changes depending on how the final two games play out. If current head coach Freddie Kitchens is fired, La Canfora wrote Meyer would be a possibility based of his relationship with owner Jimmy Haslam.

Haslam, whose owned the Browns since 2013, would offer Meyer his best chance of making the jump to the NFL. The two men share a strong bound and it was written that Haslam has the type of relationship with Meyer that he was with Peyton Manning.

Meyer recently downplayed any notion that he would return to the sideline after appearing in the Washington Redskins’ owner’s suite last week, but La Canfora reported that privately, that’s not the message Meyer has been sending to teams.

Much was made of Meyer campaigning for the Cowboys’ gig, assuming Jason Garrett gets canned, and the Redskins have already fired their coach.

While tossing Meyer’s name out will generate headlines, it seems unlikely for the coach to make the move to the NFL.

1. He’s said that his coaching days are over. People change minds, and Meyer may change his.

2. Meyer’s health was a big reason he stepped away from the Buckeyes. He also had to leave Florida over health issues after winning two national championships. The Ashtabula County native gave off every indication that he loved being a head coach, but that his biggest challenge was game day. Perhaps Meyer is feeling better, and believes he can do it. We just don’t know.

3. While Meyer has never coached in the NFL, he has a big job characteristic Freddie Kitchens lacks: Being a CEO. Kitchens should be an offensive coordinator, but was mistakingly elevated to head coach out of fear he’d go elsewhere and the Browns offense would take a step backward.

4. With Meyer in charge, things like discipline should be addressed, while he could get his people to coach up both side of the ball.

5. Meyer’s a “Name,” but isn’t the more promising candidate his successor in Columbus? Ryan Day has NFL coaching experience and he’s getting that CEO attribute with the Buckeyes. One day, the NFL will come calling for him, but unfortunately for the Browns, it might just be a little too son to lure him away from Ohio State.

6. Rumors of a split over Kitchens’ future between Haslam and GM John Dorsey are out there. Dorsey favors keeping Kitchens, while Haslam seems to be leaning toward a change. Rumors like this indicate that owner may head in his own direction.

7. It’s an exciting rumor, but so was Bill Cowher buying a house in Strongsville. Jim Tressell was supposed to have been the Browns coach, too.

The idea of having Meyer on the sideline is intriguing, but it’s more likely that La Canfora’s final paragraph, in which he believes that Haslam will consult with Meyer on his new hire, will come to fruition.