Pat Shurmur Pat Shurmur ( born April 14 , 1965 ) is currently the head coach of the Cleveland Browns . Playing career . Shurmur was a four - year letterman in football at Michigan State University . He played guard and linebacker his freshman season , and started at center the next three seasons . He earned All - Big 10 Conference honors in 1987 , his junior year . He was co - captain when the Spartans defeated the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl in his senior year . Coaching career . Shurmur ’ s résumé includes 23 years of coaching experience , including 12 in the NFL . In those 12 seasons , he has been a part of seven playoff teams , winning five division crowns and appearing in the Super Bowl . Shurmur began working for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 . On January 21 , 2009 , Shurmur was hired by Steve Spagnuolo to be the offensive coordinator of the St . Louis Rams . He helped the Rams improve to a 7 - 9 record following a 1 - 15 season in 2009 , the second - biggest turnaround in the league in 2010 . He guided St . Louis ’ offense to improvements in nearly every category including total yards , time of possession and third - down percentage , while they also scored 114 more points than the previous year . In addition , the Rams committed just 21 turnovers in 2010 , tied for the ninth - lowest total in the NFL . Cleveland Browns . He was interviewed by the Cleveland Browns on January 7 , 2011 to be their head coach . On January 13 , 2011 , Shurmur was hired by Mike Holmgren , with whom he shares agent Bob LaMonte , to become the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns . He is the 13th head coach in franchise history , and the sixth since the franchise ' s revival in 1999 . Part of the reason Pat Shurmur was hired was the team wanted him to call the plays on offense as Holmgren did in Green Bay and Seattle . Another reason for the hire was Shurmur ' s development of Sam Bradford , 2010 ' s No . 1 overall draft pick . The Browns are hoping he can have similar success with Colt McCoy . Under Shurmur , Bradford lived up to his hype and set rookie league records for completions and attempts . He also led St . Louis to a 7 - 9 record — the Rams were 1 - 15 a year earlier — while throwing for 3 , 512 yards , second - most ever for a rookie behind Peyton Manning ' s 3 , 739 in 1998 . While potentially hamstrung in attempts to install a new offensive system by the NFL lockout , the Browns played through the first half of the 2011 season at or near the bottom of the league in almost every offensive category . Starting several rookies , Shurmur ' s team was frequently beset by confusion in personnel and play - calling at critical junctures . Early in the year the defense surrendered a touchdown on a failure to break the defensive huddle , and the team ' s chances in several games were compromised by a host of special teams mistakes and meltdowns . At the midpoint of the season , in a telling series in which Shurmur called for a conservative ball - protection strategy , the Browns recovered their own fumble resulting from a mistakenly - called hand off to a 3rd sting tight - end lined up at fullback , only to botch a short go - ahead field goal attempt with a failed snap and uncoordinated line movement . Personal life . His uncle , the late Fritz Shurmur , served as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator from 1994 – 98 and helped that club win two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl title . His wife Jennifer Shurmur also attended Michigan State . Pat has four children , Allyson , Erica , Claire and Kyle .