Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Kyle Shanahan’s departure following the 2014 season was the stuff of legends – at least by Browns standards at the time.
After watching a promising season go completely off the rails thanks to a meddling front office, bickering between the coaching staff and that same front office, and an immature young quarterback, Shanahan wanted no part of the dysfunction.
So Shanahan put together a 30-plus page presentation that he presented to then head coach Mike Pettine explaining why he wanted his release from his contract as offensive coordinator.
“It was a very stressful decision for me,” Shanahan said. “You are never really going to fully explain yourself to people and you do not want to have to because you are not trying to throw any other people under the bus or anything like that, but you just come to points in your career where you need to decide something that you believe in. Especially from the place that I have been right before that and just some situations that I was in the team before for four years, I just did not want to go down that path.”
Shanahan had just come to Cleveland from a difficult situation in Washington, and he was determined not to go through anything similar, which necessitated the need to move on after just one year.
“It was an important time in my life,” Shanahan said. “I talked a lot about it with my wife. It was just a decision we made and we were willing to live with it. You do not always know how the results are going to be, but when you are happy with your decisions or your intentions on why you did something, then I feel like you can live with the results of whatever they are.
“I am happy with where it has lead me. I am very happy to be in San Francisco here. It is three years later, and I am very happy and very privileged to be the head coach of this team.”
After leaving the Browns, Shanahan moved on to Atlanta where he turned around the Falcons offense over two years as their offensive coordinator, helping the franchise reach Super Bowl LI in February 2017.
Two days later the 49ers hired him as their head coach.
While Shanahan reestablished himself and his career, the bottom fell out for the Browns.
Pettine along with general manager Ray Farmer were fired following a 3-13 campaign in 2015 and from the point when they left Atlanta 7-4 and atop the AFC North on Nov. 23, 2014 until Pettine’s successor Hue Jackson was fired on Oct. 30, 2018, the franchise was a historically awful 6-54-1.
Last Sunday, after 58 excruciating months, the Browns returned atop their division, just in time for them to head west to take on Shanahan’s undefeated 49ers.
“I am excited for all of you guys out there,” Shanahan said. “My wife, kids and myself really enjoyed our year in Cleveland. The people were great, and I thought the stadium and the atmosphere of the Browns was unbelievable. I got to feel that because we were 6-3 and 7-4 to start and were first place in the division so you saw what that hype was about and everyone knows that that year did not last. We finished 7-9 so it all went downhill from there.”
In less than two years, general manager John Dorsey gutted the roster trading for Pro Bowlers Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon. He signed Pro Bowler Sheldon Richardson in free agency and drafted Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb and Pro Bowler Denzel Ward to comprise the foundation for the franchise going forward that also includes Pro Bowler Myles Garrett.
“They have been hungry for a long time, and they are getting what they deserve,” Shanahan said. “It is the right town, good people and they have a good coaching staff, good owner, a good GM and some really good players.”
Is Shanahan surprised to see the NFL’s laughingstock and most dysfunctional franchise for two decades finally get it together?
“No, not at all. It took a little bit [of time],” Shanahan said. “They had to make some changes and stuff, but when you are in a hole that long, eventually, it is going to pay off and eventually it is going to come around. You get some good players and that is where they are at right now. It seems like everyone there is on the same page. When that happens, usually good things happen.”
