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Mike Pettine trolls Kyle Shanahan, says he was a ‘dark cloud’

By Josh Hill

Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns fired Kyle Shanahan this offseason and head coach Mike Pettine is dancing on the ashes of the relationship. 

When the Cleveland Browns bungled their head coaching search thanks to incompetent ownership in 2014, the most exciting name to be added to the coaching staff was that of Kyle Shanahan. Coincidentally, Shanahan was the first person jettisoned from the Browns organization this offseason as the two sides ‘mutually parted ways’.

That’s just a nice way of saying the Browns wanted to fire Shanahan and he was smart enough to recognize that and beat them to the punch. Either way, the mess with Johnny Manziel this past season was more than Shanahan and the Browns bargained for and it soured their relationship to the point where a change needed to be made.

Head coach Mike Pettine, who basically landed in the job last season out of default dripping in desperation, is already dancing on the grave of Shanahan’s time in Cleveland. Pettine mentioned this week that had Shanahan returned to the Browns in 2015, it would have basically been the worst thing since the plague.

Per the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

"“It’s just very hard to win in the NFL (even) when everybody’s into it and they truly want to be there, and again if you have somebody that just doesn’t want to be there, I know it’s easy to say, ‘Hey he’s under contract, hold him to it,’ (but now) there’s a dark cloud over your coaching offices and I’ve been a part of that.”"

Dark. Cloud.

That’s not what you’d define as a glowing endorsement of Shanahan’s commitment to the Browns, and that became sort of apparent late in the season. After the Browns had been bounced from postseason contention, the offense sputtered — and that’s being nice about it.

Shanahan has landed in Atlanta where he’ll work with Matt Ryan and the Falcons, but Pettine clearly seems happy to be rid of his coordinator which is yet another indictment of the Shanahan’s and their personality on the sideline.

[H/T: SI.com]

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