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Long list of possibilities to replace coach Crennel
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Dec 14, 2008
With the Browns 4-9 as they get set to play at the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the firing of coach Romeo Crennel seems like a foregone conclusion. If owner Randy Lerner isn't able to entice former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher out of the CBS broadcast booth, Lerner will have several options for Crennel's successor.
He could consider a retread, a former coach such as Brian Billick, Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel or Steve Mariucci. After the Butch Davis fiasco, most presume Lerner won't dip into the college ranks again and try to lure someone like Bob Stoops of Oklahoma or Jim Tressel of Ohio State.
If Lerner opts against both of those routes, here are some NFL assistants Lerner and other owners will consider when the postseason purge begins.
JOSH MCDANIELS
New England Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Age: 32.
Hometown: Canton.
Playing experience: Quarterback/receiver, John Carroll (1995-98).
College experience: Michigan State (1999).
Pro experience: Joined Patriots in 2001.
Ohio tie: Northeast Ohio native played for his father, Thom, at Canton McKinley. His dad later coached at Warren Harding and Massillon Jackson.
Personal note: Majored in math at John Carroll.
Comment: Worked in personnel and on the defensive side until 2004. His tutelage of quarterback Matt Cassel this year after Tom Brady's knee injury further elevates his stock.
Quote: ''He's a very intelligent young man who knows football. His position coach [in college] would always say he was like Don Shula,'' former John Carroll coach Tony DeCarlo told the Newark Star Ledger. Hall of Famer Shula got his first NFL coaching job at age 33.
JIM SCHWARTZ
Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator.
Age: 42.
Hometown: Baltimore.
Playing experience: Linebacker, Georgetown (1984-88).
College coaching experience: Maryland (1989), Minnesota (1990), North Carolina Central (1991), Colgate (1992).
Pro coaching experience: Browns/Ravens (1995-98), joined Titans in 1999.
Ohio tie: Before the Browns moved to Baltimore, he spent three years as a college and pro scout in Cleveland under Bill Belichick and also helped as a defensive assistant. Worked his way up from an unpaid intern who drove players and scouts to the airport and bought cigarettes for coaches.
Personal note: Holds a degree in economics from Georgetown and is an avid chess player.
Comment: A stats guy who once butted heads with Belichick when Schwartz told him fumbling does not correlate with winning and had the numbers to prove it. He will be one of the hottest commodities in January and seems like a natural fit to return to the city where he got his professional start.
Quote: ''We know what to expect out of certain formations and what plays they can run. It's unusual for a defensive line. But we have a quiz in front of the whole defense on Friday,'' Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch told the New York Times.
STEVE SPAGNUOLO
New York Giants defensive coordinator.
Age: 48.
Hometown: Grafton, Mass.
Playing experience: Wide receiver, Springfield College (1979-81).
College coaching experience: Massachusetts (1982-83), Lafayette (1984-86), Connecticut (1987-91), Maine (1993), Rutgers (1994-95), Bowling Green (1996-97).
Pro coaching experience: Barcelona Dragons (1992), Frankfurt Galaxy (1988), Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2006). Joined Giants in 2007.
Ohio tie: Defensive backs coach at Bowling Green for two years under Gary Blackney.
Personal note: His wife, Maria, is a stylist at a hair salon and bakes desserts for the defensive staff meetings.
Comment: Spending eight years in Philadelphia under blitz guru Jim Johnson, Spagnuolo crafted a game plan of constant pressure on the Patriots' Brady, the key to victory over the previously unbeaten Pats in the Super Bowl. The Giants defense leaped from 25th to seventh in his first season as coordinator, this week it ranks sixth.
Quote: ''The only thing predictable about the pressure is that it's coming. It's an aggressive defense,'' linebacker Kawika Mitchell told the New York Daily News.
JASON GARRETT
Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator/assistant head coach.
Age: 42.
Hometown: Abington, Pa.
Playing experience: Quarterback, Princeton (1987-88), San Antonio Riders (1991), Ottowa RoughRiders (1991), Dallas Cowboys (1993-99), New York Giants (2000-03), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004), Miami Dolphins (2004). Spent 12 years in the NFL after entering as an undrafted free agent.
College coaching experience: Princeton (1990).
Pro coaching experience: Miami Dolphins (2005-06). Joined Cowboys in 2007.
Ohio tie: Attended University School in Chagrin Falls, where his brother Jim III coached from 1981-2006 and still teaches. His father Jim spent more than 30 years as an NFL coach and scout, including 1978-84 as a Browns assistant coach.
Personal note: Is one of eight children, four boys and four girls.
Comment: Is the heir apparent to Wade Phillips in Dallas, but stranger things have happened, especially if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones makes a run at Cowher. Might love to come back to the town where he grew up.
Quote: ''He may have only coached a little bit, but he's got enormous talent,'' his brother John, the Cowboys' tight ends coach, told the Dallas Morning News. ''He has a feel for the game and a feel for people. Either you have it or you don't. Everyone knows Jason has it.''
REX RYAN
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator/assistant head coach.
Age: 46.
Hometown: Ardmore, Okla.
Playing experience: Defensive end, Southwest Oklahoma State (1983-86).
College coaching experience: Eastern Kentucky (1987-88), New Mexico Highlands (1989), Morehead State (1990-93), Cincinnati (1996-97), Oklahoma (1998).
Pro coaching experience: Arizona Cardinals (1994-95). Joined Ravens in 1999.
Ohio tie: His two-year stint as defensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati included an 8-4 season in 1997, when the Bearcats made their first bowl appearance in 50 years.
Personal note: His family has coached in six Super Bowls and won five. Father Buddy went to three (1968 Jets, 1976 Vikings, 1985 Bears), Rex went to one (2000 Ravens) and twin brother Rob went to two (2001, 2003 Patriots). The only loss was Buddy's with the Minnesota Vikings.
Comment: Interviewing for the top job last year in Atlanta, Miami and Baltimore and a finalist with the Ravens, Ryan elected to stay in Baltimore under John Harbaugh. He and Harbaugh served as assistants together at Cincinnati. Seems to be a man whose ego is under control.
Quote: ''I like to call Rex the mad scientist,'' safety Bart Scott said after agreeing to re-sign with the Ravens while on a free-agent visit to Cleveland in March, 2006. ''The guys in Cleveland were trying to get tips.''
RAHEEM MORRIS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coach.
Age: 32.
Hometown: Irvington, N.J.
Playing experience: Safety, Hofstra (1994-97).
College coaching experience: Hofstra (1998, 2000-01), Cornell (1999), Kansas State (2006).
Pro coaching experience: New York Jets (2001), Buccaneers (2002-05). Returned to Bucs in 2007.
Ohio tie: None.
Personal note: Has been praised by Bucs assistant head coach Larry Coyer for his ability to communicate to players always in a positive way.
Comment: Considered the next Mike Tomlin because of his magnetic personality. He worked with Tomlin from 2002-05, the last two seasons as Tomlin's assistant. Morris, who is not under contract for 2009, could replace Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin if Kiffin joins his son at the University of Tennessee.
Quote: ''Does Raheem get too much credit? Probably not enough,'' Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said in an August story posted on his agent's Web site. ''You can't help but think he won't be here for long. He's on the same path as a Mike Tomlin. He's not a guy who's going to stick around and wallow in the same job for a long time.''
KARL DORRELL
Miami Dolphins receivers coach.
Age: 44.
Hometown: San Diego.
Playing experience: Wide receiver, UCLA (1982-86).
College coaching experience: UCLA (1988, 2003-07, the latter as head coach), Central Florida (1989), Northern Arizona (1990-91), Colorado (1992-93, 1995-98), Arizona State (1994), Washington (1999).
Pro coaching experience: Denver Broncos (2000-02). Joined Dolphins in 2008.
Ohio tie: None.
Personal note: His father, John, served as a chief petty officer on an aircraft carrier. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, after retiring from the Navy, John took math classes at Grossmont College. One night when Karl sat down to help him with his homework, the elder Dorrell said, ''he became very impatient with me. He knew I hadn't studied.''
Comment: Might not be ready for a top job yet, but sure to get interviews because of the Rooney Rule (requiring teams to interview minorities) and his experience at UCLA. While there, he found it tough to compete with juggernaut rival USC, but the Dolphins' Bill Parcells saw something in him to hire him.
Quote: Hired at UCLA to clean up the program after a rash of off-the-field incidents under Bob Toledo, Dorrell's first words at his first team meeting, according to the Sporting News, were ''Don't jeopardize your integrity.''
Others
Clancy Pendergast, defensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals; Todd Haley, offensive coordinator, Cardinals; Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings; Brian Schottenheimer, offensive coordinator, New York Jets; Ron Rivera, inside linebackers coach, San Diego Chargers; Pat Shurmur, quarterbacks coach, Philadelphia Eagles; Hue Jackson, quarterbacks coach, Baltimore Ravens.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at
With the Browns 4-9 as they get set to play at the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the firing of coach Romeo Crennel seems like a foregone conclusion. If owner Randy Lerner isn't able to entice former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher out of the CBS broadcast booth, Lerner will have several options for Crennel's successor.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:28 AM, 12/14/2008
NO COORDINATORS
Stow, OH
Posted 10:27 AM, 12/14/2008
Please ,enough of the guys with no head coaching experience,we have suffered enough.
Posted 10:29 AM, 12/14/2008
What about Russ Grimm ?
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 11:32 AM, 12/14/2008
How about Jim Brown? This team's totally lost its identity. Let's return some glory to a storied franchise.
Wooster, OH
Posted 12:43 PM, 12/14/2008
Second the motion-NO COORDINATORS!
Posted 02:17 PM, 12/14/2008
Third--NO COORDINATORS! I'm through with these experiments with assistants who have not been proven. None of these guys on this so called "list of options" should be considered, because we've seen it all before. Cowher, Schottenheimer, Holmgren, or Reid. Cowher says he's not interested now, but it's inappropriate for him to say he is until Crennel is gone. You'd be suprised what a big offer can do.
Posted 02:33 PM, 12/14/2008
Why not a coordinator? They can coordinate really well. The Browns are a well-coordinated team. Forget the coordinators. It is rolling the dice no matter how good people think they would be as a coach. Hire a proven guy who has won as a head coach. It's not very hard to do. Just do it.
Port Saint Lucie, Fl
Posted 04:52 PM, 12/14/2008
Coaches can only do so much,ya gotta have the horses.We'll have to wait and see.
Posted 10:11 AM, 12/15/2008
What about Mike Smith, Harbaugh, Sparano, all coordinators, all doing an excellent job. It's the players, not the coaching that is the problem in Cleveland.
Posted 10:59 AM, 12/15/2008
Nope. It's the coaching.
RomeoMustGo.com
Posted 10:00 AM, 12/16/2008
Sure, it's always the coaching in Cleveland. The team just sucks, year after year after year.
San Antonio, TX
Posted 10:44 AM, 12/16/2008
Actually this team has some talent. Just a bad year injury wise and staph infection wise cost us two exceptional talents at the very beginning of the season. Gees, I hope that is fixed. The players we do have on defensive line are less than adequate except for Rogers. He's had an all- pr year. I believe the DB's we have are good. No one can cover the talent we face if there is no pass rush. I think the Defensive coach gave up on the blitze packages. Blitzing work well against Pittsburg and the Giants albeit we lost the Steelers game it wasn't because or defense played poorly. WHat happened to tjhose blitzs schems coach. You seemed to stop blitzing after game 4 or 5. If you give up then the players will too.
This team needs a get in your face and every position is up for grabs even to the rookies. Atlanta drafted rookies and are playing them. Why isn't Rucker playing or why isn't Bell playing. THIS SEASON IS LOST so play the young guys we drafted and get them a taste of the NFL. What!! we might loose with them playing.
WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 06:46 AM, 12/17/2008
Kosar...
Posted 03:10 PM, 12/29/2008
What is wrong with a coordinator? That is exactly where the Browns need to look. If a coach is out there and available, he obviously had a horrible year with another team. If these other coaches cannot win where they are at they certainly will not win in Cleveland. The biggest priority to turning around this franchise is picking the right GM.
