Cleveland Browns Fire The Guy Who Convinced Them To Draft Johnny Manziel
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains are leaving the team, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Marvez reports that Shanahan quit while Loggains was fired.
The team hired Shanahan 11 months ago after a tumultous offseason that saw the coach, GM, and team CEO all get fired. He'll now pursue a head coaching job after he "asked for and was granted his release" from his Browns contract.
Loggains has been in Johnny Manziel's corner all year long. In fact, he played a key part in bringing him to Cleveland. On draft night, Manziel sent Loggains a text message saying "Hurry up and draft me."
Loggains used it to convince the team to draft him, he told ESPN radio:
"When I got that text, I forwarded it to the owner (Jimmy Haslam) and to the head coach (Mike Pettine). I'm like, 'This guy wants to be here. He wants to be part of it.' As soon as that happened, Mr. Haslam said, 'Pull the trigger. We're trading up to go get this guy.'"
The Browns picked Manziel at No. 22 overall.
After Manziel lost the starting job to Brian Hoyer in training camp, Loggains stood by him. He told Cleveland.com in September:
"There's a reason why he's a first-round pick. We're excited to work with that skillset he has. I'm not going to make projections. I'm not much into hypotheticals, but I'm pleased with where he's at right now. I think he needs to continue to get better, and I think if he does, he's got talent."
According to CBS's Pete Prisco, Loggains wanted Manziel to start from the beginning.
Manziel's season ended poorly. He didn't make it onto the field as a starter until Week 15, when he played so poorly in a loss to the Bengals that the NFL world ripped him to shreds. The next week he suffered a hamstring injury that ended his season.
At one point this season the Browns were 7-4 and looked to be moving forward as a franchise. Now it's mid-January, and the team is once again in turmoil.