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Checking the list Browns considering several head-coaching candidates
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns learned an important lesson during their previous search for a head coach: Have a backup plan -- or two or three or even four. The Browns have lined up at least five NFL assistant coaches for interviews and might still be interested in talking to some high-profile college head coaches, possibly Miami's Butch Davis, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Washington's Rick Neuheisel, to replace Chris Palmer. Palmer, fired last week after two dreadful seasons, wasn't the Browns' top choice when he was hired in 1999 to guide Cleveland's rebirth in the league. And there's a good chance the club won't be able to land its No. 1 guy this time either. So the Browns are making a long list of candidates in preparation for a drawn-out coaching hunt. Browns president Carmen Policy said through team spokesman Todd Stewart on Thursday that the search "in all likelihood wouldn't be finalized until the week after the Super Bowl."
Early next week, Policy and Cleveland owner Al Lerner are expected to begin formal interviews for the opening. The pro assistants already penciled in for meetings are New Orleans offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, Tennessee defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, San Francisco offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and Browns defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. Crennel, coming off his first season in Cleveland, may get the first interview. The Browns may also ask for permission to speak with New York Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton. But the team won't be able to speak with Lewis or Payton until after the Super Bowl on Jan. 28. Despite denials from the Browns, there are conflicting reports about Davis. Policy insists he did not meet with the Hurricanes' coach last weekend in South Florida and that the Cleveland job has not been offered to anyone. Davis, who has interviewed with the expansion Houston Texans, has agreed to a contract extension at Miami, but has not yet signed it, fueling speculation he is talking with the Browns. Davis was in Texas on Thursday and unavailable for comment. Last week, Stoops said he plans to stay at Oklahoma but the Browns may try to quietly woo the Ohio native. "The problem with college coaches is you can't say you're interviewing them because then you create problems for them," Lerner told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. "They have problems with recruiting." Neuheisel said the Browns have contacted him indirectly and he would be willing to hear what they have to say. Lerner referred to the Huskies' coach as "an interesting name." All three college coaches fit the criteria laid out by Policy last week. Policy has said the Browns will seek a "smart, aggressive, knowledgeable coach who's able to display leadership, a feel for not only the game but a real good feel for today's athlete." Policy would love to find someone similar to San Francisco's Steve Mariucci, whom he personally hired while with the 49ers in 1997 and whom he wanted for the Browns back in '99. Mariucci was 42 when he was hand-picked by Policy and had one year of college head coaching experience and four as an NFL assistant. McCarthy has already had a preliminary meeting with Clark at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
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