BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have fired coach Eric Mangini following a second straight 5-11 season that ended with a humiliating home loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was dismissed during a meeting this morning with team president Mike Holmgren, the club said in a statement.

Mangini went just 10-22 with the Browns and finished his second season with a four-game losing streak. Cleveland went 2-6 following an upset of NFL heavyweight New England on Nov. 7 — a victory that seemed like a turning point. Instead, it only triggered a slide.

Mangini’s ouster with two years left under contract seemed set long before Sunday’s 41-9 loss, and the rout certainly didn’t help his cause with Holmgren, the Super Bowl-winning coach who may return to the sideline.

“This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought,” Holmgren said. “Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do.”