officer27
Bench Warmer
Monday, December 8, 2008 7:35 AM EST
By JEFF SCHUDEL
[email protected]
NASHVILLE — If the Browns cannot lure Bill Cowher out of retirement they will look to Marty Schottenheimer to replace coach Romeo Crennel, according to a report by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.
Schottenheimer is 65 years old. He coached the Browns from 1985-88, was 44-27, and took them to the playoffs each year. He also has coached the Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers. He is one of only seven coaches with at least 200 victories, but the albatross around his neck is his playoff record of 5-13.
Browns owner Randy Lerner has said he will evaluate Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage after the season ends, but the decision to fire Crennel has already been made, according to the Mortensen report. The Browns are 4-9 and have lost five of six games. If they do not win their last three games they will finish with at least 10 losses in three of his four seasons coaching the Browns.
Mortensen did not identify the sources for his report. According to the report Savage might be retained as head of the personnel department, but he would lose some duties as general manager, including selecting the 53-man roster. Lerner would like a more experienced football authority to fill that role, such as Cowher or Schottenheimer.
According to the report, Schottenheimer has said he would return to coaching if the team he is taking over has a strong core of talent.
This was not in the ESPN story, but if Lerner were to move on Cowher or Schottenheimer soon after the season ended the new coach would be able to fill his staff sooner than if Lerner looked for a replacement among the staffs of teams in the playoffs.
Source: BROWNS NOTES: Paging Marty Schottenheimer?: ESPN reports he's Cleveland's second option Morning Journal: Serving Lorain, Erie, Huron and western Cuyahoga counties
By JEFF SCHUDEL
[email protected]
NASHVILLE — If the Browns cannot lure Bill Cowher out of retirement they will look to Marty Schottenheimer to replace coach Romeo Crennel, according to a report by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.
Schottenheimer is 65 years old. He coached the Browns from 1985-88, was 44-27, and took them to the playoffs each year. He also has coached the Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers. He is one of only seven coaches with at least 200 victories, but the albatross around his neck is his playoff record of 5-13.
Browns owner Randy Lerner has said he will evaluate Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage after the season ends, but the decision to fire Crennel has already been made, according to the Mortensen report. The Browns are 4-9 and have lost five of six games. If they do not win their last three games they will finish with at least 10 losses in three of his four seasons coaching the Browns.
Mortensen did not identify the sources for his report. According to the report Savage might be retained as head of the personnel department, but he would lose some duties as general manager, including selecting the 53-man roster. Lerner would like a more experienced football authority to fill that role, such as Cowher or Schottenheimer.
According to the report, Schottenheimer has said he would return to coaching if the team he is taking over has a strong core of talent.
This was not in the ESPN story, but if Lerner were to move on Cowher or Schottenheimer soon after the season ended the new coach would be able to fill his staff sooner than if Lerner looked for a replacement among the staffs of teams in the playoffs.
Source: BROWNS NOTES: Paging Marty Schottenheimer?: ESPN reports he's Cleveland's second option Morning Journal: Serving Lorain, Erie, Huron and western Cuyahoga counties
