I don't know if the assistants from those other teams enjoyed the same benefits. Dallas won because Jimmy Johnson was a gifted talent evaluator as well as an excellent motivator. I think Parcells and Belichick have been so successful because they're smart enough to adjust their strategies to fit their personnel and they have a knack for exploiting the weaknesses of their opponents. I think Gibbs is simply a natural, ultra-competitive leader. He would thrive at anything he tried.

My point here is that these coaches have skills that aren't transferable to their assistants. West Coast descendants were exposed to a business model, a way of running a team that Walsh conceived and taught to all his employees. Coaching under Parcells or Jimmy Johnson meant being exposed to a different type of genius, the kind that makes other men sit back and think, "How did he come up with that idea?" This might not sound like a major difference, but it is, especially when it comes to assistants who are part of the Parcells/Belichick coaching family.

The coaches who have trained under these men have quite a bit in common. They're used to working for control freaks. They've grown accustomed to dealing with players who are willing to buy into the system ("Parcells Guys," for example). They've also been able to coach without extra distractions, such as dealing with the media (Parcells and Belichick both prohibit their assistants from being interviewed). What they haven't had is a lot of opportunities to face situations that head coaches might encounter. Without that experience, they're likelier to have a harder time dealing with them.

This is what gives me pause about Weis and Crennel. Judging their individual situations, I'd say Weis has a more ideal position after being with Belichick so long. It's much easier to control college kids and Weis also has the kind of advantage that helped Pete Carroll find success at USC -- the ability to sell recruits on the notion that he knows what it takes to reach the NFL. On the flip side, Weis will have to deal with alums wanting a good amount of his time, intense media scrutiny and a strict admissions office. It will be difficult but Coughlin benefited from his college coaching experience, as did Butch Davis after he left Johnson's staff in Dallas.

Crennel faces a tougher challenge. He gets a lousy team in a town starving for success. Browns fans aren't likely to be patient with another coach who can't generate an immediate turnaround. If Crennel tries to run his team like Belichick or Parcells ran theirs -- which is what too many former Parcells assistants try to do -- he could be asking for more trouble. There have already been two other Parcells products that have flopped in that town (Belichick and Palmer) using Tuna's tactics.

That said, I really hope Weis and Crennel both prosper. They've been loyal, valuable members of the Patriots staff but they've also had to live in Belichick's shadow. Now that they have their shots to prove their skills, I have to root for them. I want to know if their success is related more to their abilities than Belichick's influence. After all, I like to see good soldiers make the most of their opportunities, especially when the odds might be heavily stacked against their chances for success.