DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns hire former Texans Offensive Line Coach

http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/browns/index.ssf?/mtlogs/cleve_browns/archives/2007_01.html#230209

Browns hire offensive line coach
By Mary Kay Cabot

Plain Dealer Reporter

The Browns have hired former Houston Texans assistant Steve Marshall as their offensive line coach, a source close to the situation said Friday night.

Marshall had recently been hired by Nick Saban to be offensive line coach at Alabama, but opted to return to the NFL, the source said. Browns General Manager Phil Savage, who was in Mobile, Ala., for today’s Senior Bowl, could not be reached for comment.

Marshall was fired by the Texans after the 2005 season — a year in which Houston’s line surrendered a league-high 68 sacks, all of them absorbed by quarterback David Carr. Marshall spent the 2006 season out of football before being hired by Saban earlier this month.

In 2004, Marshall joined the Texans as assistant line coach after more than 20 years in the college ranks. He replaces Jeff Davidson, who was hired this week as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.

Marshall was chosen from among a field that included former Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Tom Cable, former Panthers offensive line coach Mike Maser and former Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Steve Loney. Cable has been offered the offensive line coach job at Oakland.

The Texans promoted Marshall to offensive line coach after Chris Palmer was fired as offensive coordinator early in the 2005 season. With only one NFL season as the primary line coach under his belt, Marshall assumes the dubious task of rebuilding the Browns ailing line and helping rejuvenate the league’s 31st-ranked running game.

Prior to joining the Texans, Marshall was offensive line coach at the University of Colorado from 2000-03. He also has coached at Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina and Tennessee.

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So... one year of NFL offensive line coaching experience, and it was the Texans line that gave up 68 sacks in '05. I don't even know what to say.

This was the best guy available? I usually don't get too worked up over assistant coaches being hired...but, next to the OC, this might have been the most important coaching position to be filled. And they got a guy from


THE TEXANS??????


I'm mystified. Hope to hear a comment from Phil very soon on this move.

I'm so sick of the calls by this organization. The former Bronco's OLine architect is out there and we don't even get him an interview. So instead we hire a guy who was coach of a worse line than ours? Kinda makes you wonder.

Chud was good here but I don't see what meritted him to get a promotion for leaving us in the first place.

Grrrrrrrr, I was very content with Romeo and his previous picks when they were made; maybe my doubts will just mean it will work out for us.

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Marshall had recently been hired by Nick Saban to be offensive line coach at Alabama, but opted to return to the NFL, the source said.

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Karma's a bitch, huh Nick?

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Marshall was fired by the Texans after the 2005 season — a year in which Houston’s line surrendered a league-high 68 sacks, all of them absorbed by quarterback David Carr. Marshall spent the 2006 season out of football before being hired by Saban earlier this month.

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I don't know this guy, don't know jack squat about him, but if I'm lookin' around for O-line coaches and I stumble across this guy's resume, I'm not immediately thinkin', man, this guy is just what I'm lookin' for.

WTF Phil?

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Browns General Manager Phil Savage, who was in Mobile, Ala., for today’s Senior Bowl, could not be reached for comment.

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Screw the comment, I wanna freakin' explanation.

Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll leave for a better offer before FA hits.

So now we've hired a guy who was unemployed last year and his ONLY one year experience had the worst results in the league?

You expect this hire from a team who didn't know they would have some staff changes until a week or so ago but we have known for half the season that Carthon was gone and didn't seem to have much of a short list in preparation.

I know we can't 'talk' to people during the playoff run and all but this is absolute crap! I can't stand this hire.

I have kept very quiet about the new coaches that the Browns have hired, but this one really has me pissed off

I usually assume Phil knows what he is doing when hiring coaches but in this case, like the rest of you, question this hiring.

Here's a blurb from an article 2 weeks ago when Saban hired him:

Steve Marshall

Steve Marshall brings an impressive depth of experience to the Crimson Tide staff, having served successful stints at several colleges and in the NFL. Marshall spent the 2006 season out of coaching after serving two seasons (2004-05) on the staff of the Houston Texans as an offensive line assistant. In 2004, Marshall oversaw the offensive tackles for the Texans, and then he took over complete control of the offensive line during the 2005 season.

Prior to joining the Texans, Marshall spent the 2000-03 seasons as offensive line coach at the University of Colorado under head coach Gary Barnett. During that period, the Buffaloes won one Big 12 Conference championship and two Big 12 Conference North Division titles. Prior to his stint with the Buffaloes, Marshall spent two seasons (1998-99) at the University of North Carolina as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Marshall joined the Tar Heels after he coordinated the Texas A&M offense in 1997. The Aggies were 9-4 with a No. 20 final national ranking in the Associated Press poll, made a Big 12 championship game appearance and earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl.

A native of Vernon, Conn., Marshall played offensive guard and tight end at Louisville in 1976-78. He coached the offensive line and kicking game at Marshall in 1982-83, offensive line and tight ends at Louisville in 1984, and coordinated the offense and coached the line at Murray State in 1985-86.

He coached the offensive line at Virginia Tech in 1987 and a year later was promoted to offensive coordinator, a position he held for the next five seasons (through the 1992 season). While at Tech, Marshall coached standouts including running back Vaughn Hebron, quarterback Will Furrer, and wide receiver Antonio Freeman.

In 1993, Marshall moved to the University of Tennessee to coach the offensive line. After two years he was given the added responsibility of running game coordinator. The Volunteers led the Southeastern Conference in rushing in each of those three seasons. In 1995, Tennessee beat Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl and finished No. 2 in the final coach’s poll. In 1996, Marshall coached the offensive line at UCLA before moving on to Texas A&M.
http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=14&p=2&c=609191

I'll defer to Phil's knowledge of Coach Marshall. It's not like he just picked his name out of a hat or anything........

F'in WOW~!

Since we hired a [censored] ass [censored] up O-Line coach, maybe this points to Phil drafting a [censored] Ass T like Ryan Harris.

Wow... What the [censored] else can you [censored] say about this stupid bull [censored] hire?

[censored] speechless~!~

LOL............Calm down, Style.

This was a great hire. Think about it:

---The guy was out of football last year. His ego won't be big enough to actually call out the offensive linemen when they mess up. Remember how upset Coleman and Andruzzi were when Mo questioned their play? This guy won't hurt their little feelings, and that's a good thing in Opieville.

---The last team this guy coached gave up 68 sacks. He has experience dealing w/terrible lines and will probably know just the right thing to say after the team gives up 6 sacks in a game.

---He should be fresh since he was out of football this year.

---Yes, it's true that he was only an NFL OL coach for one year, but didn't you know all HOF coaches had coached only 1 year at one point in their careers?

---The best news concerns all the RAC haters. This move should speed-up RAC's departure. It will be pointed out that RAC's offenses have failed w/two totally different staffs and it is obvious that he has no clue about offense.

Man.............I just love what the Browns are doing.

2 out of work comedy writer posts in a row......nice.

Keep believing, Shep. We're getting better.

You obviously feel that you know more than the front office and the entire coaching staff so why not apply for the jobs?

Here is the web address for employment with the Brown's.

http://browns.teamworkonline.com/teamwork/jobs/default.cfm#

Maybe your knowledge will blow them away and you'll end up running the team.

It's kinda like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.....it's better to believe than to know the truth.

And I don't see where we are getting worse yet, so I don't see a current need to jump off of any bridges.

I don't give a damn if we get the 3 stooges to come in and be the line coaches, it's more about acquisition of the proper players than it is about the dude in the duncecap running them through drills in the summer time.

Let's see who we get in FA and the draft before we start slitting our wrists......hmkay?

lol, who cares?
Calm down everybody, it's [censored] January and it's a line coach. I'm sure the guy knows something about offensive line play. If we have the horses up front, we win more games. You can't coach a lame-legged horse into running the Derby. As for giving up 68 sacks with the Texans, ever think talent had anything to do with that?

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ever think talent had anything to do with that?

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Or lack there of

Anyone with any coaching experience at any level understands that you need the talent to make it work.
Some on the board feel that a certain coach can and will automatically make a player better.
Granted they can show them different techniques and change the schemes to hide weaknesses and play to their strengths, but in the end the player has to have the ability to execute.
Players can make or break a coach alot easier than a coach can make or break a player!

I had hope that they would hire Steve Loney and am disappointed. Now I only hope this isn't a step in the wrong direction.

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You obviously feel that you know more than the front office and the entire coaching staff so why not apply for the jobs?

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I love such original comebacks. Did you have to stay up all night to think of that one?

It's a message board and we all our giving our opinions.

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I don't give a damn if we get the 3 stooges to come in and be the line coaches, it's more about acquisition of the proper players than it is about the dude in the duncecap running them through drills in the summer time.

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LOL......

I have been the one saying that the previous coaches should not have been changed. How was it their fault when the talent that Savage provided sucks? Why change coaches if the talent level is not up to par?

But, now we have the ol' double standard. The previous coaches were not developing the talent.......... but don't be upset w/the hiring of the new coaches because coaching doesn't matter.........it's all about the talent.

P.S. Don't take that too personally Shep. It's mostly for the dolts who try to sell it day in and day out.

Yep......you know where I'm comin' from and I know yer origination point....

It's the vicious cycle when ineptness rears it's ugly head, whether it be coaching or player talent related.

Someone has gotta go.....and if the HC doesn't go, then the underlings go.

I begged for continuity.....you can't have it in all areas, but wholesale changes without a change in the talent level will never do the trick.

Same ol' story, same ol' song and dance, my friend............

We get talented linemen (we have a few), and we will be fine.. regardless of the o-line coach..

OOOOOOOO
MMMMMMMM
GGGGGGGGGGGG

WTF is your problem bro...

The dude had JUNK to work with in Houston...JUNK...

I KNEW as soon as his name surfaced and he was tied to the Texans that reactions like this would come a floodin'...

U CANNOT COACH JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It remasins to be seen how he does here...But it by no means is a JUNK HIRE!!!!!

Great news for us.

Our OL is ranked 31st,

Well, bring on 32nd !!

Anyone want to take dibs on how many times our QB will be sacked next year?

My bet, 72 !!

Let's be honest, the Browns hired a good "college" Oline coach who failed to produce the same results at the Pro level.

The hire of Steve Marshall as the Browns Oline coach will not be viewed as a favorable hire by Browns fans and the local media. Marshall will have to prove himself to all of us and if the Oline of 2007 is again poor, Savage will take the heat for hiring Marshall.

This hire does leave "this Browns fan" scratching his head.

This franchise's area of greatest concern, "the offensive line" and Savage hires a guy who's Houston offensive line produced a league high 68 sacks, the 30th ranked passing offense and the 15th ranked running offense in 2005.

Also, in 2006, Marshall did not work. We don't know if it was because of his 2005 record with the Texans or if Marshall just decided to take a year off.

As a long time Browns fan and offensive line pimp, I question this franchise's commitment to excellence in the offensive line area.

I will give Marshall a chance but the pressure will be on him and Savage to produce.

I don't know whether this is good or not..based on the Texans line..on the surface it don't look great...but one never knows ..

Get a guy with a failed record in the NFL. Wonderfull.


What's next? We have a TE coach as our OC and a guy with one of the worst records of working with an NFL OL as our OL coach.

I thought the FO was trying to SAVE their jobs,not commit professional suicide!??

Dumb asses.

Tell ya what Shep.,

Let the FA period and the draft conclude first. Depending on what happens there,I might take you up on that bet!

My 'ex' company hired Simpleton Solutions (ok Simpler) to change the way things were done in each department. This, of course, caused aprehension and anxiety among the work force. But I would tell my people:
I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE'RE GOOD ENOUGH TO SUCCESSFULLY RUN ANY SYSTEM THAT THEY THROW AT US

Of course the coaches are important...but good players can do just about anything you ask them to do...zone block, man up, pull, screen...you name it.
It's mostly about the players!

And where are these "good players" supposed to come from? Have you seen our OL?

Maybe they should have thought of hiring someone who has been proven to have tha ability to "coach up" mediocre talent,rather than to fail with it? Because we have mediocre talent at best on our OL and he's already proven what he does with that.

Coach up mediocre line talent?
I don't know if that's easy to do, furthermore, if possible, the guy who can do it isn't easily available, I'd bet.
Either way, hopefully we're going to start dumping mediocre line talent and begin upgrading (starting with Andruzzi and Coleman).

j/k
No need to get all worked up,its only a coach,what the hell do they know anyways.Besides he hails from the great football factory of Conn,wherever that is.On the positive side,one less person in the unemployment line.
Note to self,
contact distributor earlier this year,double up on Commemerativo order for the season.

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Coach up mediocre line talent?

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He has been there and done that... Failed BTW.. Given our current roster of stiffs, we can expect more of the [censored] same...

I have been one of Opie's loyal supporters but if he thinks for a nano second that we can upgrade our o-line in the draft from the 4th rd and on, then he NEEDS to go... IF we do not grab O-Line in the 1st via Thomas (which I can accept IF he happens to be gone) WE BETTER snag one in the 2nd/3rd...

BTW Lamp.. Not ranting at you, The move just puzzles me to no end...

j/c

I don't undertstand when one of the best offensive line coaches is available and we don't do whatever it takes to get him...

I don't care what anyone says... a good coach will have a ok team... a great coach will take you deep into the playoffs multiple times...
Almost all great coachs... coached bad teams with bad players and made the bad players better.

Everyone that says the position coach doesn't matter is full of [censored]. If they didn't matter then why the [censored] did we care when Rosenburg left?

At the end of the coming season : I want all to remember who is calling the shots as we talk .. Savage will be the the Man or the Goat at seasons end ! .. Don't need to put any of these moves at the feet of RAC...