Mike Holmgren's run as a team president is over, ending prematurely and before he planned.
For weeks, he has hung around Cleveland's offices doing what he could to help new owner Jimmy Haslam. Holmgren attended meetings, practices and games. He talked with players, coaches and consulted with his replacement, CEO Joe Banner, now in charge of running the Browns.
Holmgren made his pitch for the team to keep coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert beyond this season.
And now, there's nothing left. It's time for Holmgren to move on to the next phase of his life, which may or may not include another foray as an NFL coach.
Last week, he knew his work was finished.
"I was done," he said. "I already passed the baton."
Less than three years after signing a five-year contract with former owner Randy Lerner to fix Cleveland's franchise, Holmgren is leaving. His final day with the Browns will be Friday, and after that he and his wife, Kathy, will return to their home in Arizona, where the 64-year-old will contemplate his future.
"We are going to fly to Phoenix on Saturday and catch my breath a little bit and take it easy and ride my motorcycle," Holmgren said. "I honestly don't know if I'm going to go back to work immediately or not and I don't know if it's going to be in football."
This was not the exit he envisioned.
Holmgren thought he would leave amid a playoff push or as Cleveland celebrated finally winning a Super Bowl title like the one he helped bring to Green Bay. But everything changed when Haslam bought the Browns for $1.05 billion and hired Banner, who built the Philadelphia Eagles into perennial contenders.
Holmgren was the odd-man out. He stayed to assist Haslam and Banner with the transition, and while he got some things accomplished, it became obvious he was no longer needed.
The Browns went just 12-31 under Holmgren.
