The Plain Dealer - CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Big Show is coming to town -- and he's only coming to run the show, not coach it.
Former Seahawks and Packers coach Mike Holmgren, also known as The Big Show, agreed Monday to become president of the Browns. A source close to the situation said he will not be coaching the team, instead becoming the football czar they've been seeking to help turn around the struggling franchise.
The team also announced that former president Mike Keenan will transition to the role of chief financial officer.
Holmgren, 61, was not in town for the team's announcement and was unavailable for comment. On Saturday, he turned down a high-level position with his beloved Seahawks because the post didn't afford him enough power.
"We are pleased to announce that Mike Holmgren has agreed to join the Cleveland Browns," owner Randy Lerner said in a statement. "We will spend the rest of the week finalizing the details of the agreement and will make a formal announcement next week, at which time we will make him available to the media."
With coaching off the table for Holmgren, his first order of business will be to determine if Eric Mangini should stay or go. Mangini is coming off back-to-back victories over Pittsburgh and Kansas City and the team has improved markedly in almost every statistical category since the bye week.
Holmgren, who coached the Seahawks for 10 years (one Super Bowl appearance) and the Packers for seven (two Super Bowls, one title), has a special place in his heart for coaches and will at least give Mangini a chance to state his case.
"It would really be unfair for me to talk too much about that other than the fact that I like Eric Mangini,"' Holmgren said on KJR AM/950 in Seattle last week. "I think he's a good coach. He's a bright guy. He works very, very hard at his job and we have to see.
"Anytime you go in and are responsible for who that person is, in fairness to everybody you better give everyone a chance. This is his first year in Cleveland. Bill Parcells did it in Miami after one year, had a coaching change. But having been a coach for so many years, I'd be the first one to tell you that's not very fair.
"But sometimes the tough decisions aren't fair. But I'd do everything in my power to make sure it's the right one and that everyone gets a chance to prove himself."
Mangini reiterated Monday that he's not concerned with his future.
"I'm coaching this team and that's what I'm focused on," he said. "That's what I've asked of our coaches and players. Anything else externally or any other elements to that -- they are what they are."
Mangini, who received support from his players and from team executive advisor Jim Brown after Sunday's 41-34 victory over Kansas City, has repeatedly said that he'd welcome anyone to examine his program -- on the field, in meetings and in the locker room. He also said he's certain anyone with the title of "czar" would be astute enough to look past the 3-11 record.
However, Holmgren and Mangini come from two entirely different coaching trees. Holmgren began as a quarterbacks coach under the 49ers' Bill Walsh and is firmly entrenched in the West Coast system. His coaching family includes West Coast stalwarts such as Jon Gruden, Steve Mariucci, and Redskins embattled coach Jim Zorn.
Mangini descends from the Bill Parcells tree, which features a more traditional offense and trademark 3-4 defenses.
Holmgren will have to decide if he wants to hire a general manager to run the personnel department, or if he wants to tackle that job himself. Holmgren served as both the Seahawks' general manager and coach from 1999-2002 before being relieved of his GM duties in 2002 to concentrate on coaching.
As GM, his drafts received mixed reviews, with only two of his six first-round picks are considered "hits" -- running back Shaun Alexander and guard Steve Hutchinson.
After relinquishing the dual role, his Seahawks teams made the playoffs five straight years, including four NFC West titles and a trip to the Super Bowl.
Holmgren is not known for sitting in a room and studying film, meaning he might see fit to bring in a new GM. The Browns' previous GM, George Kokinis, filed an arbitration claim against the team Monday to recoup his $4 million salary on grounds that he was never given the final say over the roster he was supposed to have.
So it's clear that Holmgren will have his work cut out for him, especially considering the Browns have had only two winning seasons in the 11 since they've been back.
Holmgren will also have to determine if former No. 1 pick Brady Quinn can be the quarterback of the future. Quinn is 26th in the NFL with a 67.2 rating and struggled against Kansas City, earning a dismal 27.7 rating. Holmgren, who coached Joe Montana and Steve Young in San Francisco, said on his radio show that he'll have to study Quinn to determine if he can be the guy.
"They think the world of him," Holmgren said. "This much I know. If you're kind of juggling two guys [Quinn and Derek Anderson], it becomes very hard for both of them and at times hard for the team. I'd have to study and learn so much more about both those young men."
One thing is certain: Holmgren oozes success. In 17 seasons as a head coach, his teams made the postseason 12 times. In 23 NFL seasons as an assistant or head coach, his teams achieved double-digit victories 13 times, made the postseason 17 times, won three Super Bowls and reached two others.
Holmgren said the No. 1 thing that made the Browns "very, very appealing" were "no layers" between him and Lerner and that "the challenge of rebuilding is kind of in my blood."
He's proven he can do it as a coach. Now, we'll see what kind of leading man The Big Show really is.