Crennel heads to Cleveland wearing another crown
CLEVELAND -- After winning another Super Bowl, New England's Mr. Do-It-All issued a warning to the rest of the NFL.
"Look out for Cleveland next year," said two-way standout Troy Brown. "They're getting a great coach."
Romeo Crennel, who borrowed Brown from the Patriots' offense to play cornerback this season, accepted Cleveland's offer to be their next head coach Sunday, fulfilling the longtime assistant's lifelong dream.
Crennel's agent, Joe Linta, arrived at the Browns ' headquarters in suburban Berea on Monday morning and spent the day in contract negotiations with team president John Collins, the final step in making the 57-year-old defensive coordinator the 11th full-time coach -- and first full-time black coach -- in Cleveland history.
Linta, who was seeking a five-year deal for his client, was not immediately available for comment.
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| Romeo Crennel (center), celebrating with Tedy Bruschi and Roman Phifer, is off to Cleveland. (AP) |
His return to Cleveland -- he was the Browns' defensive coordinator in 2000 -- will cap an emotional few days for Crennel, who just won his third Super Bowl title with New England and the fifth of his career as one of the league's pre-eminent assistants.
But now he'll be in charge of rebuilding the Browns, who are coming off a disastrous 4-12 season that included Butch Davis' resignation on Nov. 30. Crennel is inheriting a team that has gone 30-66 since its expansion rebirth in 1999. Over the same span, the Patriots won consecutive Super Bowls, three titles in four years and assured their place among the league's dynasties.
Soon to be fitted with another Super Bowl ring, Crennel is ready for a new challenge.
"Now I have an opportunity to take the next step, be in charge of a team, and see if I can be as successful as I have in the past," he said.
Crennel's initial task in Cleveland will be assembling a coaching staff. He has reportedly chosen Maurice Carthon to be his offensive coordinator, prying him away from Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys.
Carthon, a fullback for the New York Giants when Crennel was a defensive assistant for Parcells, previously worked with Crennel on Bill Belichick's staff in New England.
Crennel's top choice to be his defensive coordinator is believed to be Patriots defensive backs coach Eric Mangini, whose brother-in-law is Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro. The 34-year-old Mangini is considered a rising star and could be offered a job by other teams.
