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Do IT this week: Layering
Patriots give Lerner permission to interview Scott Pioli for GM job
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
POSTED: 11:40 a.m. EST, Dec 29, 2008
Bill Cowher will not be joining the Browns, but the Browns have permission to interview New England Patriots Vice President Scott Pioli.
That's the major news from a media gathering with Browns owner Randy Lerner this morning.
Lerner said he had an informal meeting with Cowher in New York City on Saturday night, and Cowher said he did not want to coach in 2009.
Any chance that Cowher would change his mind is slimmer than slim, Lerner said.
''He wasn't coy,'' Lerner said.
Lerner will interview Pioli to be the team's new general manager soon, though Lerner did not have a specific date.
Pioli clearly has emerged to be the main candidate to take over the Browns' organization.
Lerner also said that Romeo Crennel was beyond gracious and gentlemanly when he talked to him, and Crennel is open to the possibility of staying with the Browns as an assistant coach.
Lerner also said he would consider Eric Mangini as a coaching candidate, but said Mike Holmgren is committed to taking a year off. Lerner has not thought about the possibility of hiring former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is on the list.
Lerner has asked to interview another GM candidate working for another team, but did not say who. And Lerner said he has a list of coaching candidates, but would not detail them beyond McDaniels.
He will interview two candidates to comply with the league's Rooney Rule, but did not specify the names.
Lerner also said he has been following the BIll Parcells saga and would try to talk to Parcells if he left the Dolphins.
>> Browns release official statements from Savage, Crennel
>> More from the Lerner news conference
>> Be heard: Who do you want in Cleveland?
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/.
Bill Cowher will not be joining the Browns, but the Browns have permission to interview New England Patriots Vice President Scott Pioli.
That's the major news from a media gathering with Browns owner Randy Lerner this morning.
Lerner said he had an informal meeting with Cowher in New York City on Saturday night, and Cowher said he did not want to coach in 2009.
Any chance that Cowher would change his mind is slimmer than slim, Lerner said.
''He wasn't coy,'' Lerner said.
Lerner will interview Pioli to be the team's new general manager soon, though Lerner did not have a specific date.
Pioli clearly has emerged to be the main candidate to take over the Browns' organization.
Lerner also said that Romeo Crennel was beyond gracious and gentlemanly when he talked to him, and Crennel is open to the possibility of staying with the Browns as an assistant coach.
Lerner also said he would consider Eric Mangini as a coaching candidate, but said Mike Holmgren is committed to taking a year off. Lerner has not thought about the possibility of hiring former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is on the list.
Lerner has asked to interview another GM candidate working for another team, but did not say who. And Lerner said he has a list of coaching candidates, but would not detail them beyond McDaniels.
He will interview two candidates to comply with the league's Rooney Rule, but did not specify the names.
Lerner also said he has been following the BIll Parcells saga and would try to talk to Parcells if he left the Dolphins.
>> Browns release official statements from Savage, Crennel
>> More from the Lerner news conference
>> Be heard: Who do you want in Cleveland?
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/.
Comments
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WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 12:01 PM, 12/29/2008
MARTY YOU DING WIT
Posted 12:10 PM, 12/29/2008
Parcells would be awesome. The problem is that Lerner cannot afford to wait that long. If the Dolphins are not sold, Lerner would have missed the opportunity to get the prime candidates that other teams are targeting. Too much time wasted in waiting out Cowher. RL should have felt him out months ago!
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 12:33 PM, 12/29/2008
crennel should have ben fired two years ago, savage may never work again at the level he attained here: he certainly doesn't deserve it, talk about terrible...a billionaire's wealth and he could only assemble a feeble coach with a feebler team
cowher should have been sought out ages ago; the trouble is the confusion and hesitancy---both need to go in whatever is done next
Akron, OH
Posted 12:57 PM, 12/29/2008
Please . . . . somebody . . . . anybody . . . . buy the Browns franchise? Lerner knows absolutely nothing about football.
kraus
Fairlawn, OH
Posted 01:17 PM, 12/29/2008
What's the interest in another Patriots assistant? Hasn't it been proven by Weiss and Crennel that Bellichick has a monopoly on brains in that organization?
Posted 01:22 PM, 12/29/2008
Cower is a winner. Why would he want to be with a bunch of losers. Frankly, the entire team needs gutted. Their is a malingering spirit of entittlement without production that exsits. They should all be paid for how well they play, not given contracts to allow for laziness and shiftyness. The unofficial cleveland browns players union is sucking the life out of the browns!!!
Posted 01:46 PM, 12/29/2008
Fairlawner, maybe so but at least Josh has been the brains behind the offense. That might be the difference however the head coach spot might be a little much to handle at this time.
, ..
Posted 02:36 PM, 12/29/2008
@KooKraus-
Hey, KooK Kraus, I see you think you know it all about sports, too! Look what your War Criminal president did when he ran the Texas Rangers…LOL…LOL…The same thing he's done to the country!! You KooKs just can't give it up, can you? WHY DON'T YOU BUY THE BROWNS, YOU MUST BE INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY BECAUSE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING....
Stow, OH
Posted 03:31 PM, 12/29/2008
This is the problem with the Browns,Lerner has a very passive personality,not a Steinbrenneror Jerry Jones type. Do you think for one minute if Steinbrenner owned a football team he would except a reply from Cowher like that ? Hel* no ! You have to be a Trump and offer them a deal they can't refuse,passiveness breeds ineptness,and that breeds losing.Billionaire money doesn't mean he demands a winner from his employees ,he is the perfect boss,mediocre is ok with him,that is why he passed out extensions for just a winning record,not even the playoffs .
Yo Mama, PA
Posted 03:37 PM, 12/29/2008
Josh McDaniels...Canton McKinley trash. PERFECT for the Clowns. Sign him up. You idiots need more losing seasons!
GO STEELERS
Akron, OH
Posted 03:39 PM, 12/29/2008
Lets be real Cowher doesnt want to coach anywhere! So let him be. The Browns had better make a change and make it quickly. I dont care who they get as long they win!! I cant take another embarassing year like this one.
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 03:55 PM, 12/29/2008
well, cowher was squatted on here when he wanted the job as marty left, so i guess it was his turn to get even
A, O
Posted 04:07 PM, 12/29/2008
Steelers fans are arrogant morons!!
Posted 04:13 PM, 12/29/2008
Cowher doesn't want to coach that loser team or in that dirty city of Cleveland! You heard it here first he will be the coach of my Dallas Cowboys next year!!! We need a motivator like Cowher unlike our current coach Wade Phillips a.k.a Dusty Rhodes! lol!
akron, oh
Posted 04:23 PM, 12/29/2008
We don't want that man in our house. Keep Out!!!
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 04:56 PM, 12/29/2008
Great news for us Steeler Fans if Browns make just fired Mangini their new coach. He's never won anything as a head coach just like Fatman Crennel. Didn't he and Fat Arse Crennel both coach at New Englnd? Didn't both of them fail after they left footbal genius Bill B?
Browns' fans need to ask themselves why Lerner refused to take open questions at a news conference today after the firing. What is he afraid of? Be thinking about joining the Akron Steelers Fan Club.
Meanwhile how about those Steelers, playoffs again and the best defense in the NFL.
Akron, OH
Posted 05:18 PM, 12/29/2008
I think that the Browns and the Indians franchise owners should both be bought out. Lerner knows nothing about football, and Dolan knows nothing about baseball.
kraus
Posted 07:41 PM, 12/29/2008
I can't believe that Lerner is going to let some guy from New England come over here and hire his close buddy as our next coach. I AM SO UPSET OVER THIS. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. The guy is 32. That's 3 and 2. He's a kid. We thought this year was bad...next year will make this year look like we won the Super Bowl. Lerner needs to step down, sell the team or do whatever. He is as bad as Savage and Crennel. He needs to go. I can't believe this. Totally shocked.
Larsen, WI
Posted 08:36 PM, 12/29/2008
Hey Rabid Roberta. Has anyone told you how truly stupid you are. Being you have no clue what you are talking about this won't bother you.
Port Saint Lucie, Fl
Posted 09:53 PM, 12/29/2008
Sorry ms9136, dollars to donuts Cowher goes to the Jets.Cleve.is too close to the Steelers backyard(plus he's working on TV in the Big Apple).The Pats Pioli will the new Head of Football Ops. in Cleve.
Kent, OH
Posted 11:30 PM, 12/29/2008
Hey Cowher, I think I speak for many Browns fans when I say, "Bite me!"
Go coach the Jets. When you come to play our Brownies, I hope somebody doesn't have a D-cell with your name on it.
akron, oh
Posted 12:24 AM, 12/30/2008
ALL OF YOU IGNORANT PEOPLE NEED TO CHILL......... ITS LERNERS CASH.... PUT YOUR OWN MONEY UP OR SHUT UP........
Akron, OH
Posted 12:29 AM, 12/30/2008
Hey Lerner, . . . . . get lost
barberton, oh
Posted 06:48 AM, 12/30/2008
Sell the Team Randy Lerner. U can't pick your nose any better than U can pick personell 2 run OUR TEAM. U command premium $ from us FANS and we want a WINNING TEAM. U can't produce so why should we. I hope U don't sell a single ticket for next year. So, put the Browns on the market and stay with Soccer. That must be real lucrative for U......
carmichaels, pa
Posted 11:45 AM, 12/30/2008
I'll give you credit....the Browns still have a way of upsetting a room. I gave up way back in the Cardiac Kids days. :::sigh:::
......, Oh
Posted 06:22 PM, 12/30/2008
Lester: Ignorant?
Chill big daddy.
You get what you pay for, and from what I've seen Learner got exactly what he paid for.
GO STEELERS!!
