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Crennel willing to stay if new coach agrees
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Updated: December 30, 2008, 9:59 AM ET
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Browns Fire Romeo Crennel After Four SeasonsThe Romeo Crennel era in Cleveland as a head coach is over. But his coaching career with the Browns might extend beyond this season -- under the right circumstances.

Crennel told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in a phone interview Monday that he'd be willing to stay if the new head coach wanted him on his staff.

"You don't want to get into a situation where somebody other than the head coach is hiring the coaches because now you've got a situation that might not work best," Crennel told the newspaper. "And for this organization to move forward, they need key people on the same page, going in the same direction."

Crennel went 24-40 in four seasons with the Browns, who entered 2008 with huge expectations but collapsed amid injuries to quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson; dropped passes by wide receiver Braylon Edwards; and uneven play on offense and defense. Cleveland didn't score an offensive touchdown while losing its last six games.


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Crennel was a highly regarded defensive coordinator with New England before taking the Browns' head coaching job.

Browns owner Randy Lerner has been granted permission by New England to interview Scott Pioli, the Patriots' vice president of player personnel who helped assemble three Super Bowl winners as coach Bill Belichick's right-hand man, to replace Phil Savage, who was fired as the Browns' general manager Sunday.

The 43-year-old Pioli began his NFL career in Cleveland as a pro personnel assistant under Belichick in 1992. He has worked his way up and is now regarded as one of the league's premier front-office executives. Savage was seen similarly when the Browns hired him in 2005, but Lerner feels Pioli has a more expanded role than Savage did while he was Baltimore's director of player personnel.

Pioli is believed to be interested in the Browns job, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

If Pioli is hired, head-coaching candidates are expected to be Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

Crennel told the Plain Dealer that if Pioli were to take the Browns job, he would discuss staying on the Browns staff.

"I'd have to sit down and talk to Scott about it, but moreso than Scott, I'd have to talk to the head coach," Crennel told the newspaper. "That would be the major factor."

I would love for Romeo to stay. He is a class act and a great Defensive Coordinator.

My only problem with RAC staying on is that if the players don't like how the new HC handles things, they could go crying to RAC since they're familiar with him. Now, RAC seems like the kind of guy who would put the interests of the team first, but it could cause some discord.

That would say alot to the players if a head coach took a lesser role. I am a firm believer in teaching by example. Say if the new coach wanted Lewis to be a goalline back, ala Jerome Bettis, the veteran team leader can look over his shoulder and see Crennel did whats best for the team and that he could do it too.

That should also shut up the team divas. How can they complain when their fearless leader took a lesser role? Crennel is showing a lot of class. He wants to stay in this city and help finish what he started. How can anyone else go to the media and complain? Crennel didnt pick good assistants and although lovable, not a great motivator. I would like to keep him around.

lol.. If I were Romeo, I would be bitter as heck. He is a very humble guy. I admire him myself. I'm sure the players want him back in some kind of capacity. I think Defensive Coordinator would be perfect.

Our defense needs his attention and command.

I agree with that and if RAC wasn't such a good guy and class act I'd worry about it. But he is that guy, so I'm not. I think him taking a lesser role with our team would send a great message to our players.

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"You don't want to get into a situation where somebody other than the head coach is hiring the coaches because now you've got a situation that might not work best," Crennel told the newspaper. "And for this organization to move forward, they need key people on the same page, going in the same direction."

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Is that an indictment of Savage for hiring all those Offensive guys and forcing them down RAC's throat?

We've heard it said a thousand times how Savage picked Chud and the rest of the O coaches and that RAC had to live with it.

Could it be there was a discord between the two guys that never hit the press? hmm,, makes one wonder doesn't it.

RAC is a class guy,, no question about it. I would think that if Pioli comes here and brings someone like McDaniels or Mangini, RAC would have an easy time fitting into the DC role here..

Man, I don't remember a time when a fired HC has handled things as well as RAC has handled this..... I am amazed by his actions and words...

Whether he stays or goes, I have the utmost respect for that man.....

I would love for him to stay as defensive coordinator.

Why would the new coach want him around regardless of if they are "friends"? Wouldn't that create division in the locker room right away?

Do you really want to see him on the sidelines again? I'd prefer to put him in a Jim Brown type role where he is a mentor/consultant to the team working with the players.

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Man, I don't remember a time when a fired HC has handled things as well as RAC has handled this..... I am amazed by his actions and words...

Whether he stays or goes, I have the utmost respect for that man.....

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May be he just doesn't want to move.........

Haha, I think Romeo could take over being D-Coordinator if the Head Coach was able to handle the situation. But it would provide an array of issues for guys like Braylon and Winslow which could outweigh the rewards.

I'm kind of for Mangini to come here. I feel that given a second shot, his team wouldn't have had that kind of melt down he was faced with this year. The guy is intelligent and does football well, i bet he could learn from his mistakes and come back better

I'll be the first to say it. Sorry Romeo, you were a class act and all, but it's time to go. I don't want Romeo back with this team in any role.

His legacy as a defensive coordinator came from coaching under Bill Billicheck. Billicheck runs that team. They sure didn't seam to miss a beat when Romeo and Charlie Weis left, did they?

First, RAC rand the defense, as it has been doumented by many interviews posted many times on here. Second, the defense didn't miss a beat? You might want to actually reasearch that before saying such a thing. Very untrue statement.

I don't think there is any question that the situation and chemistry has to be right, but again, under the right set of circumstances,, I'd like RAC to stay.

Okay, I'll do my research...

2004- Romeo Crennel's last year as NE defensive coordinator...

3rd down- 81-209 (39%)
Rush yards- 1572
Pass yards- 3400
Sacks- 28
TD allowed- 26

Now 2005... First year after Romeo left...

3rd down- 92-219 (42%)
Rush yards- 1580
Pass yards 3703
Sacks-28
TDs allowed- 38

Very close, but Romeo was slightly better... But, now 2006...

3rd down- 75-209 (36%)
Rush yards- 1507
Pass yards- 3203
Sacks-29
TDs allowed- 24

Yep... they sure missed Romeo.

You forget the most important stat. Points allowed.

2004- 245 points allowed

2005- 251 points allowed

2006- 196 points allowed


Man, I bet those NE fans are hating that Romeo isn't there anymore... He held that defense together.

Wasn't it Romeo who pieced together a secondary that was decimated by injuries, and STILL won a Superbowl with a WR playing at CB?

I don't care what anyone says. It's well known how much Romeo is respected around the league. I'd take him as a defensive coach in a heart beat.

Pats haven't won a championship since RAC left.

RAC will be a sought after commodity in this league the minute he decides to start taking outside calls. If you have the opportunity to keep someone as knowledgeable, classy, and respected in your locker room you do it.

Moreover if Pioli takes the job he'll be on the same page with Crennel personnel wise and you'll see dramatic improvements on the defensive side of the ball.

It's going to be impossible to find someone as effective as a defensive coordinator, with his track record and rapport. If he wants to stay, he stays.

Can't say i would mind him staying. I think with anyone else I would be a bit skeptical, but his demeanor lends itself to a diminished type of role. There's no question the guys on the team like him, I think that would be an automatic "in" for the new HC. Especially if Crennel already knows the guy.

This revisionist, meaningless stat crap is just that. Romeo was a good defensive coordinator

RAC as DC for NE,....Super Bowl victories.

RAC is not in NE, what happened? Yep, they definately missed RAC. Like I said, do your research, the Achilles heel of the Pats since RAC left has been the defense.

I would like to see him stay myself. He's a good guy through and through. It could certainly help the transition of the new HC and the team and if he focused solely on the defensive side of the ball he could do very well for the Browns. The fact he'd be open to that option, at least in my mind, shows he really cares for the Browns and wants to see us succeed. Let's face it, the guy could get the DC gig just about anywhere.

One point that hasn't been raised is the fact that RAC would represent some degree of continuity in the organization. At some point we need to develop institutional history and experience. Not to diminish what RAC is capable of doing, I think it is good to keep an "old librarian-type" around (like Don Zimmer when he was with the Yankees). Right now, it seems like Jim Brown is the only guy, but he is not close to the coaching staff AND he does not have any hands-on knowledge of how this team has operated internally during the past few years.

You're spitting into the wind trying to convince us that Belicheck was the sole reason for success in NE. After Crennel and Wies left, it took 4 years to get to and lose a Super Bowl. You don't like Crennel, thats fine. Trying to discredit his ability to run a defence though isn't going to wash.

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Why would the new coach want him around regardless of if they are "friends"?

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Because of his body of work in NE. Dude set up and executed one of the most effective, flexible 3-4D's in recent history. Better question: why wouldn't a new coach want him?

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Wouldn't that create division in the locker room right away?

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Not if it's handled correctly. But that would require some professionalism from all parties concerned. Players would take theor cues from RAC, who has behaved as a consummate professional all along.

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Do you really want to see him on the sidelines again?

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I had no problems seeing him on the sidelines of all those NE games. It wouldn't bother me to see him as our DC

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I'd prefer to put him in a Jim Brown type role where he is a mentor/consultant to the team working with the players.

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I don't disagree... but why would you waste his skills as a DC if you had access to them? RAC's probably more familiar with our current personnel than any incoming DC would be, he knows who can play/who can't play, and already has the old NE playbook/scheme in his head. I'll take that 'bird in the hand' over some new face 6 days per week and twice on Sunday.

For months, I kept reading Dawgs saying "Romeo- great DC/lousy HC." If they're ready to really put their money where their mouths are, they'd surely be interested in seeing this new development. Name any other available DC candidate with better credentials. Pretty short list, eh?

...and we have him here right now.

Trust me- we could do far worse (and have, for that matter)

RAC: Browns DC... I'm more than OK with that.

What needs to be looked at is really simple..
NE does miss Rac as DC..however NE got Rac the type of players to run their scheme..

If Pioli lands here and somehow Rac is retained..you'd see the level of defense go up..Phil didn't get Rac the type of 34 players needed to run the scheme properlu.

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His legacy as a defensive coordinator came from coaching under Bill Billicheck. Billicheck runs that team.

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If necessary, I will fight this myth with my very last breath. I've done it before, and I won't ever get tired enough to let it rest.

From a previous post of mine from a couple months ago:

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Re: Defense? [Re: name deleted for privacy]
#444383 - Tue Sep 09 2008 11:48 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply




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"The Pats won because Bellichek was the control freak and didnt allow Romeo to Fudge things up."


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This statement is simply incorrect.
It's false, misleading, and smacks of "personal spin."


By Bill Belichick's own admission, Romeo schemed the D and ran it. Patriots players have been asked about it in public intervews as well, and have said the exact same thing. Tedi Bruschi, Richard Seymour, and even Ty Law sounded like members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their praise for Romeo:

''Romeo makes the game plan, conducts our meetings, calls the defenses in the games and runs the entire defense,'' cornerback Ty Law said. ''Bill Belichick puts in the flavor and makes suggestions, but Romeo puts in his imprint, too, and runs it. He is a man of class and he is a distinguished person. He would be a distinguished head coach. Somebody one day soon is going to make him a head coach, and the teams that miss out that could have had him will regret it.''

New York Times article : 12/23/2003 : Romeo A. Crennel



then, there's this one:

"The defense will likely be a carbon copy of New England's 3-4 scheme, with plenty of complexity.

That alone should be the biggest hurdle for Crennel with the Browns. Assembling a defense with New England's playbook – reputed to be one of the most difficult to master in the NFL – will require finding players who can handle massive amounts of information and be able to recall and maximize schemes that could undergo wholesale changes from week to week.

"You can't be a dummy and play in our system," Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said. "We have so many adjustments week in and week out to deal with. You have to be able to adjust on the go. Sometimes we might cover something in training camp and we might not get back to it for a month."

There's no reason to think anything different will be expected from the Browns under Crennel, especially now that he's bucked the popular misconception that he's simply a caretaker for Belichick's planning. New England's acclaimed linebacking corps wastes no time lavishing praise on their coordinator.

"Part of the mastermind behind the scheme," Roman Phifer said.

"Imperative to us and our success," Tedy Bruschi added.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-crennel020205&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


...and flag me for "piling on," (Olde Schoole, I admit, hehe...) but I just had to add this one, in terms of Romeo's approach to Head Coaching:

(from a Charlie Weis interview...)

"I went to (Belichick) and I wanted to know how he went from being the best defensive coordinator in football to allowing Romeo (Crennel) and Eric (Mangini) and Dean Peas to run the defense?" Weis said. "I asked him how do you cut the cord? How does Andy Reid let Marty Morningweg call the plays when he's always been the play caller?

"The bottom line from both was they believe it gives you the opportunity to be a better head coach."









You know- I've respected your football knowlege and acumen for years, [name deleted]... and will continue to do so... but on this one, you're just plain wrong.

________________________________

Honestly, I don't know why I keep hammering this stuff at deaf ears over and over and over. I guess it's just my stubborn nature.


What a bummer. We Cleveland fans have him... and a good number of us still don't appreciate it -on even the slightest level.

For the time being, I'm still willing to believe the assessment of someone like Ty Law over ANYONE who simply "posts on a fansite message board."



It's a matter of credibility with me... and compared to the guys I've listed in this thread- you lose.

Thanks for playing- try again.


.02
Clemdawg


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For the love of football, when will this stupid myth finally run out of gas?

The fact that RAC is willing to stay on with a diminished role speaks volumes for the guys character and devotion to seeing this thing through. And I wouldn't have to lose my hair wondering what type of defensive scheme would be implemented. The question remains to be seen if RAC and Savage had their differences. I'll be the first to admit that I was a Savage supporter and RAC seems to be the kind of guy who wouldn't say anything bad about the previous FO. If he stays on as DC, time will tell whether the issue was Savage or not. I just don't want to see the rush 3 drop 8 type of defense anymore.

And for god sakes as long as the guy isn't managing the clock during the game, I'll be fine.

Great post Clem!



Some people never let facts get in their way. Raw emotion rules.

You do realize that all of those nice things the players said about RAC running the defense... that's just what Belichick told them to say.

I'd love to see Romeo stay on as a DC. At this point in his life he probably doesn't want to pack up and move around the country going to a team he's not familiar with.

One more time..for the benefit of the people who still don't understand..Rac ran the scheme that Bellyache wanted..
However the FO and Bellyache supplied Rac with top notch players who were SMART and knew their roles.
The 53rd man on that team had a role and could fill it.
There's your difference people.

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The 53rd man on that team had a role and could fill it.

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that still doesn't change the fact that rac was a good d coordiator...

at the end of the day it comes down to the long haul.....

teams that are contantly picking high, are doomed to fail if they don't get those high picks right...you pay big money for unproven talent, and if it busts, the affects are felt for years....

good teams....that are constantly picking late in the draft, have the luxury of getting quality players, and the ability of cutting them if they don't pan out, with little to no affect on the cap...

that is why teams like the steelers, and the pats have such great depth, and build thru the draft....by the time there starters are done they have a mid round pick, that was no where near ready to play, that has matured and can step in....or they can cut a guy thats not progressing, and pickup a 2nd tier fa to fill that void cheaply...

that is what we need to get to in order to be successful....with our constant turnaround on coaches and players, and constantly picking high, we are hurt in the long run...

this team needs to get its front office in place, get some experience in the coaching staff to go along with some young up and comers....and then put on some ear plugs and get to work...

I think Romeo is a class act and a good D cordinator. I wouldnt mind him staying with the team If we sign Pioli he probabally will stay with us.

I think this is great to hear. Given the right talent and not just "versatile" players will vastly improve RAC's chances of success if given the chance here. Plus we would have to redirect to a new system and just fill the holes we need. the players would be more comfortable with the transition.

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Plus we would have to redirect to a new system and just fill the holes we need.

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U mean "Wouldn't have to"???

We'd find out real quick what Savage gave our D that wasn't wanted...By Crennel anyway...