Mike Holmgren Brings The Cleveland Browns Full Circle

What most of you are probably thinking is, "How has Mike Holmgren brought the Cleveland Browns full circle? Dude, what are talking about?"

Well to give you some information about me, I am obsessed with the history of professional football.

With that being said, when it first became official that Mr. Holmgren was hired as the Browns team president, I knew right then the Browns future was about to change.

I know I know, Cleveland most likely won't make the playoffs this year, but if you're a Browns fan, you should notice that they are headed in the right direction.

To begin with, Cleveland finished off 2009 very strong. And although a slow start this season, they have been in every game. Not just one or two to this point. 

Why? Because Mike Holmgren has brought the Browns full circle.

Now to fully understand my point about the Browns coming "full circle," we must revert back to 1946 and then work our way back to present day.

Paul Brown from whom the team is nicknamed, co-founded the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. Then, in 1950, the AAFC merged into the NFL and the Browns success continued.

From 1946 through 1955, Cleveland played in 10 consecutive championship games, winning seven of them.

Paul Brown would coach Cleveland to one more championship game appearance in 1957 before his departure in 1962.

Two years later, the Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship, the city's most recent professional sports title.

Paul Brown then founded the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 and hired a man named Bill Walsh.

In 1975, Bill Walsh resigned after not being named head coach after Paul Brown stepped down. However, the Bengals would have their most successful seasons during the 1980s.

Remaining as the team president, Paul Brown and the Bengals made it to Super Bowl XVI in 1981 and Super Bowl XXIII in 1988.

In 1979, Walsh resurfaced in the NFL and was hired by the dismal 2-14 San Francisco 49ers. Most of you now know them as the team of the 1980s, who won three Super Bowls before he retired after the 1988 season.

Ironically, two of those Super Bowl victories came against Paul Brown's Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI (1981) and Super Bowl XXIII (1988).

And prior to the 1986 season, Bill Walsh hired Mike Holmgren from Brigham Young University to be the quarterbacks coach. 

Holmgren, who served under Walsh from 1986-1988, was promoted to the 49ers offensive coordinator in 1989 under new head coach George Seifert.

Thus, the Niners would go on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in dominating fashion over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV 55-10 (The most lop-sided game in Super Bowl history). 

Homgren would remain in San Fran until he was hired by the Green Bay Packers prior to the 1992 season.

During the pre-Holmgren era, the Packers had only two playoff appearances from 1968 through 1991.

Under Mr. Holmgren (and his intimidating mustache), the Packers made six consecutive playoff appearances from 1993 through 1998, including two Super Bowl appearances in 1997 and 1998 (Winning Super Bowl XXXI in 1997).

Beginning in 1999 Holmgren became the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and had an immediate impact.

Seattle not only made the playoffs in his first season, but won four consecutive NFC West division titles from 2004-2007, including an appearance in Super Bowl XL.

Now we come "back to the future" (Turnaround McFly! You know I had to do it), and you can see how Mike Holmgren has brought the Cleveland Browns full circle.

The Paul Brown "coaching tree" began in 1946 in Cleveland, then continued through Cincinnati, San Francisco, Green Bay and Seattle. And now it's back in Cleveland.

So if history tells us anything, it's that the Cleveland Browns will have success with Mike Holmgren.

Plus, I was fortunate enough to meet the man one day while I was at the barbershop during my college days (yes, Mike Holmgren and I share the same barber). And he is intimidating.

The whole exchange lasted maybe four seconds, but I could sense I was in the presence of greatness.

Also as a native Ohioan, I have a lot of friends who are Browns fans, and all I ask of them and the rest of the Cleveland faithful is to give Mr. Holmgren your patience, because he will produce.