Former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano wants Bruce Arians as next head coach

MENTOR, Ohio - Former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano is a strong proponent of the Browns hiring a head coach with NFL experience over a successful college coach.

Rutigliano was wooed by a Browns general manager after 11 years as an assistant coach in New Orleans.

"He said ‘If you don't blow the interview, you've got the job,’" said Rutigliano.

But, the former late 70s and early 80s Kardiac-Kids coach said he likes the now-Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Arians for several reasons.

Arians filled in as head coach for Chuck Pagano this year while he recovered from leukemia treatments. He was so successful, the Colts made it to the playoffs with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck after a dismal 2012 season.

"My hope right now is to hire someone who is active right now. There were seven guys who got fired, so you got a bunch of them out there,” Rutigliano said.

“Bruce Arians would be a great pick. He coached Peyton Manning. He coached Ben Rothlisberger. He just finished winning 11 games and coached Andrew Luck. And here's the big thing right now: Hire a guy like that to solve the most important thing because it's a quarterback-driven league. Solve the problem at quarterback," he said.

"The other thing I would tell Bruce right now if he was listening: Hire Dick Jauron because he was a head coach at Chicago, he was a head coach at Buffalo. He parks his ego at the door and he has done a great job with the Browns defense so the defense will continue to grow, and solve the quarterback problem. We're not that far away.”

“If Jimmy Haslam is listening, get it done and get it done the right way. Don't hire anyone without NFL experience," Rutigliano said.

Arians was released from a Baltimore-area hospital on Monday after suffered flu-like symptoms. The Eagles and Bears have also expressed interest in the offensive coordinator.

The Browns top choices, Oregon’s Chip Kelly and Penn State’s Bill O’Brien, opted to stay with their respective college teams. On Tuesday, the team met with CFL coach Marc Trestman at the training facility in Berea.