Cleveland ? If Dan Gilbert wants new coach Mike Brown to be a success, then the owner should forget about hiring Larry Brown to run the Cavaliers.

At the news conference Thursday to announce the hiring of Mike Brown, Gilbert admitted that Larry Brown’s first passion and desire remains to coach.

Larry Brown has said the same thing, over and over, as he heads into what could be his final days as coach of the Detroit Pistons.

So why hire Larry Brown as the Cavaliers’ president? Gilbert could not formulate a strong answer when I asked him that question. He talked about picking the brain of Larry Brown, and how Larry Brown has a great reputation and tremendous knowledge.

But the man wants to coach!

The only way Larry Brown won’t coach next season is if his hip surgeries and bladder problems remain major health issues. But what about when he feels better in a few months or a year?

Then he’ll want to be back on the bench.

Where will that leave Mike Brown, a dedicated 35-year-old rookie coach who has paid dues to get a chance to run his own team? Why should Mike Brown have to endure Larry Brown in the wings? How long would it take for fans, media and even ownership to begin pushing for Larry Brown to replace the new guy on the bench?

To be successful, Mike Brown needs a president/general manager with a steady hand, a calm voice and absolutely no coaching aspirations. It would help if this executive is older, has been through a few basketball battles and has the scars to show for it.

Ideally, this executive should have been hired first and, then, he would have been the one committed to Mike Brown. That way, they’d be in this together – 100 percent. That was Gilbert’s original plan, but he has changed it.

Gilbert loved the idea of hiring Mike Brown, and he decided to do it now. The owner said all the candidates interviewed for team president or GM also gave Mike Brown a strong endorsement. That could be true given Mike Brown’s impressive reputation as an upcoming coach. It’s hard to be believe that every one of them would have Mike Brown as their No. 1 choice for the Cavaliers.

Regardless of who finally ends up as the Cavaliers’ top basketball man, there will be hints of a shotgun marriage.

If it’s Larry Brown, everyone knows that he’ll just be waiting to coach again and that Mike Brown will be subjected to some ruthless second-guessing.

Gilbert built his Quicken Loans business on guts, creativity and salesmanship. Larry Brown is a great salesman, too, especially when it comes to selling Larry Brown.

Add in Gilbert’s business association with the Pistons and his Detroit roots, and it’s easy to see why he has become enamored with Larry Brown.

But Brown has had 11 coaching jobs in 33 years, which means he comes with a BUYER BEWARE sign, and it should be screaming in neon lights when it comes to the idea of Larry Brown as the next Cavaliers president.