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Titans' Schwartz delays interview with owner Lerner
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Jan 04, 2009
A hectic week in the search for a new Browns coach and general manager has moved into waiting mode.
Owner Randy Lerner's scheduled interview with Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was postponed Saturday because of a scheduling conflict, said a league source, who was unsure if the meeting had been rescheduled.
Schwartz interviewed with the Detroit Lions' coaching opening on Saturday, to the NFL Network's Adam Schefter.
Unless it can be reset for today, Lerner will have to wait until the Titans are eliminated from the playoffs, or during the week before the Super Bowl, if the Titans get that far.
Last week, Lerner interviewed ex-New York Jets coach Eric Mangini; New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who might be the favorite for the Jets job; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, a Canton native; and Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker for the vacant coaching position. For the top football position, Lerner talked to Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli and Browns player personnel director T.J. McCreight.
Lerner might wait to hear from Pioli, who reportedly plans to interview with the Kansas City Chiefs by Monday at the latest.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Saturday that Mangini is emerging as Lerner's favorite to succeed Romeo Crennel, based on a ''compelling'' interview Tuesday and Lerner's fascination with Mangini, 37. Starting his pro career as a ball boy and public-relations intern with the Browns in 1994, Mangini, a pro
tege of Bill Belichick, went 23-25 in three seasons as Jets coach.
Mortensen said if Mangini gets the job, the general manager position could go to George Kokinis, director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. Kokinis was an intern in the Browns' operations department in 1991 who worked his way up to college scouting assistant under Belichick. Kokinis has held his present job with the Ravens for six years.
According to Mortensen's sources, Pioli's demands in his interview Wednesday were extreme, and Lerner hopes to compromise. Mortensen said Pioli's top choices as coach are believed to be University of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and McDaniels, 32, whose interview Friday was deemed impressive by a Browns source.
Schefter reported that McDaniels had a three-hour interview with the Browns and was told they have no problem hiring a coach before they hire a general manager. According to Schefter, McDaniels will interview this morning in New York with the same Denver Broncos contingent that talked to Spagnuolo on Saturday. McDaniels played quarterback at Canton McKinley and John Carroll University.
Browns linebacker Willie McGinest, who might be retiring after 15 seasons, served as a player correspondent on the NFL Network's GameDay Morning show and commented on the team's coaching search.
''Whatever coach comes into that system is going to have to crack the whip and get them organized. There's a lot of talent on that team, you just have to put it all together,'' McGinest said.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
A hectic week in the search for a new Browns coach and general manager has moved into waiting mode.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Kent, OH
Posted 02:03 AM, 01/04/2009
''Whatever coach comes into that system is going to have to crack the whip and get them organized. There's a lot of talent on that team, you just have to put it all together,'' McGinest said.
Why is it that when a black player says this, it's fine, but if a white person had said this, people Pat McM included, shout racism? I'm sorry, but calling anyone a "whip cracker" is racist and should not be tolerated, no matter how "innocent" that comment may have been.
Posted 06:52 AM, 01/04/2009
TyRaX,
You don't know that. And, frankly, I don't think that would be the case at all. It just takes a little common sense to understand the context in which something is said. The talk here should be about football, not assumptions about what someone might say about something said by someone else.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 09:05 AM, 01/04/2009
An opportunity lost by Randy Lerner. The Browns will end up settling for whoever is left to be GM and Head Coach if they wait till after the super bowl to decide who.
Meanwhile, disgusted Browns' fans come join the Akron Pittsburgh Steelers fan club. Playoffs almost every year, and an organization that knows how to win championships.
Posted 09:40 AM, 01/04/2009
I find it interesting that McGinest was one of the guys defending Romeo, and yet it's clear from his comments that Romeo didn't have control of the team.
Naples, FL
Posted 10:28 AM, 01/04/2009
TyRax you are much too sensitive. Relax
Kent, OH
Posted 12:21 PM, 01/04/2009
I apologize. My comments come after watching the Independence Bowl yesterday and hearing for three hours how there is still so much racism in football. I guess it all sank in and now I'm looking for racism is every story. However, the term "crack the whip" is identical in scope to those such as "lynch" which is quite taboo for any white person to say, ever.
Kent, OH
Posted 12:29 PM, 01/04/2009
LOL. Something in my last post just got censored. I'm not sure what, but all I said was that my comments came after watching the Independence Bowl and hearing for the whole three hours how racist football still is. There are certain words and phrases that are taboo. Perhaps we have forgotten some of them, since, as a culture, we actually are far less racist than some extremists claim.
wadsworth, OH
Posted 02:35 PM, 01/04/2009
TyRaX, GET A CLUE.
Allegan, MI
Posted 05:46 PM, 01/04/2009
Randy needs to quit interviewing coaches and find a GM. Let the GM find the coach. Look at Al davis, the Ford's and Jerry Jones. Owner's who run football teams don't win games.
Posted 08:09 PM, 01/04/2009
Hire Marty. Pioli doesn't want the job, if he did he'd would've signed by now.
Posted 10:58 PM, 01/04/2009
Why haven't we heard anything from Marty? Where is he or maybe he's just waiting for the phone to ring? I'd like to know why Lerner isn't considering Marty at this point or at least including him in the candidacy of coaches?
I'll also say this. I am starting to like Mangini more and more. What if we hire Mangini and then go with an interim GM for a year until the spot can be filled? It would be nice if the Browns could promote someone already within the organization who knows the culture and the "many" problems that already exist. Perhaps this person could take on the job permanently.
Regardless of whom the Browns hire for GM, I don't think that one person alone should have final say on the 53 man roster or draft day decisions. I would like to see a consensus reached amongst the interim GM and coaching staff.
Posted 08:13 AM, 01/05/2009
Jerry Jones also won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years doing what he is doing today.
Posted 08:43 AM, 01/05/2009
Crack that whip...our founding fathers knew what they were doing...
Barberton, OH
Posted 12:36 PM, 01/05/2009
It's a different league than the one where Jerry Davis won those Super Bowls. A lot of the old school owners are finding themselves playing catch up when it comes to the new version of the NFL. Just look at Al Davis, the guy is not only losing it upstairs, but his football acumen is stone age compared to the rest of the league. I mean, seriously, the guy threw $65 million at a guy who should have been picked in the 3rd round, JaMarcus Russell.
Barberton, OH
Posted 12:36 PM, 01/05/2009
Oops, I meant Jerry Jones in the 1st sentence. Getting ahead of myself.
