Browns coaching rumors: Bruce Arians, Marc Trestman among potential candidates

New Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner will keep interviewing candidates as they prepare to make their first coaching hire. Two of the top candidates appear to be Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman. The Browns predictably fired coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert at the end of the season, allowing Haslam and Banner to bring in their own men for the jobs.

The Browns have made it clear that they are putting the search for a new head coach as priority number one, and then will turn their attention to the general manager search. Cleveland interviewed Oregon coach Chip Kelly, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien, and former Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, but were unable to hire any of them. Kelly and O'Brien stayed put, and the Bills hired Marrone as their head coach.

Arians served as interim coach for much of his first season in Indy, filling in for Chuck Pagano as he dealt with medical issues. Under Pagano and Arians, the Colts finished 11-5 and made the playoffs just one year after a 2-14 disaster. Arians spent five years as the Steelers offensive coordinator prior to joining the Colts.

Trestman has been the coach of the CFL-based Alouettes since 2008, but has a history coaching in the NFL. He served as offensive coordinator of four different teams between 1989 and 2003, including the Browns in 1989.

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