Dear Mike Holmgren: Goooood Luck

Mike Holmgren is one heck of a football guy. Really, he is. Just consider his coaching career.

Holmgren has taken two franchises — the only two he has ever coached — to the Super Bowl. He won Super Bowl XXI with Brett Favre in Green Bay and returned to the big game the next year, losing to John Elway and the Broncos.

In seven years at the helm in Green Bay, Holmgren guided the Packers to the playoffs six times.

Then he left for Seattle, much to the chagrin of Green Bay fans, to assume the role of both general manager and head coach. What followed was a bit more helter skelter.

Holmgren spent 10 years in the Pacific Northwest and went to the playoffs six times. The Seahawks lost in a wild-card game three times, the divisional round twice and to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

All in all Holmgren compiled a .594 winning percentage in 17 years as head coach ending in 2008.

But now he’s in for the biggest challenge of his football life: Rebuilding the God awful Cleveland Browns franchise. Several outlets reported Monday that Holmgren will join the Browns as team president.

Holmgren reportedly turned down a similar position with the Seahawks to take the post in Cleveland. Think Mikey doesn’t like a challenge, do you? Think not.

He has a titanic task in front of him in Cleveland. Among the first things he must figure out, is what to do with Brady Quinn and Eric Mangini.

Can Quinn be a franchise quarterback? It’s tough to say considering there’s almost zero talent around him. Is Mangini capable of keeping the team’s ear long enough to lead them back to relevance?

Make no mistake, the Browns need to be rebuilt from the foundation. Holmgren is eminently qualified for the job. If he can turn Cleveland around it will be his football masterpiece.

It is sure to be a long process.