Regime change won’t be rapid

By TONY GROSSI

A Browns executive insists owner Randy Lerner will wait until after the season finale before making a move.

BEREA — Everyone wants to fire Romeo Crennel now! Reassign Phil Savage now! Move on to the next Browns regime right now!

That’s not the way it’s going to work, according to Bob Kain, the Browns’ vice chairman.

“What we plan to do is exactly what Randy Lerner said [Nov. 25],” Kain said Tuesday. “Immediately following the season, he’s going to review everything and he will make decisions. It’s what he said to the press and it’s what he’s said to Romeo and Phil.

“Nothing has changed. He has a good relationship with Romeo and with Phil. They both have worked unbelievably hard with the Browns. He’s not happy with the results, obviously, and will review everything. He’s also respectful of these guys.”

With Crennel falling into seemingly lame-duck status, Savage’s full authority on football matters being questioned and the Browns losing four of their last five games to go to 4-9, speculation is occurring almost daily.

The latest — one floated by former Browns coach Marty Schottenheimer in a SIRIUS radio interview — had Schottenheimer teaming up with Bill Cowher as a front office-coaching tandem.

“All these rumors ... some of these things are crazy,” Kain said. “But it doesn’t take a genius to think that if the Browns are considering a new coach, it doesn’t take long to get to the names of Cowher and Schottenheimer. People can speculate, but we’re not going to vary from what Randy laid out.”

Kain said there has been no contact with Cowher or Schottenheimer and there wouldn’t be contact until after Lerner conducts his season-ending review.

The Browns also are mindful of the NFL’s strictly enforced “Rooney Rule,” which requires every team to interview at least one minority candidate prior to changing coaches. In 2003, the Detroit Lions were fined $200,000 for hiring Steve Mariucci as head coach without interviewing a minority.

A league source said the Browns would have difficulty attracting a minority even to sit for an interview if everyone knew the job were rigged for Cowher or Schottenheimer.

“We know all the rules,” Kain said. “Randy will put the Browns through all the proper steps and procedures after a full review.

“What is a full review? It involves first, looking at the coaches and general manager that we have. And then asking ‘what are the other options?’

“People like Cowher and Schottenheimer, they are experienced coaches not with any teams at the present. If those are two considerations, we’ll be on time to talk to them or anyone else if Randy decides that’s the route to go.

“We won’t be late. [Waiting for after the season], I don’t think, is putting us at any disadvantage.”

There is no discussion within the organization to relieve Crennel of his duties to get a jump start on implementing changes.

“I think Romeo’s done as [much] as he can to win games under difficult circumstances. Randy is not going to change his commitment to Romeo because of rumors,” Kain said.

As for Savage, Kain said, “The review will be about real important things. One thing I feel badly about for Phil, he keeps getting beat up for a stupid email [to a fan] after he’s killed himself for four years looking for players.

“The review involves his drafts, his free agents, his scouting system.”