Top 5 Browns head coaching candidates

For the ninth time in 17 years the Cleveland Browns will have a new head coach patrolling the sidelines. After two unceremonious seasons, the team decided to part ways with Mike Pettine.

On the surface, it’s not much of a surprise. Pettine was largely ineffective during his (albeit short) tenure in Forest City. He waded through the mess that was the Josh Brown saga, and then there was Johnny Manziel.

From Day 1 there was an apparent rift between Pettine and Manziel (No. 22 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft). From Manziel’s style to his partying ways, Pettine couldn’t get on the same page with Manziel. There were suspensions, starts, demotions and all places in between – just an oil and water combination.

So here we are again. Poor Browns fans are like Prometheus chained to the mountain – everyday the same punishment with no relief in sight.

So who will Cleveland go with this time around? Will they veer towards the offense, or get another defensive-minded coach to try and chip away at years of futility? Can they find a guy to end the streak of Schurmurs, Chudzinskis and Pettines? Hope springs eternal.

Here’s a list of five names you can expect to be batted around for the Cleveland Browns’ next head coach.

Next: Hugh Jackson