Browns Fire Phil Savage; Plan On Firing Romeo Crennel Any Minute Now

The holiday season doesn't bring good tidings for everybody. Just ask those head coaches who are spending the New Year cleaning out their offices.

The Cleveland Browns have officially fired general manager Phil Savage. Owner Randy Lerner made the decision before the Browns' game with the Steelers but waited until after the game to make it official. Lerner called Savage after Cleveland's 31-0 loss to tell him that he will not be retained.

Lerner didn't attend the game in Pittsburgh because he reportedly was busy setting up interviews for the week. Tops on the list is former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher and current Patriots vice president Scott Pioli. Because the Patriots were eliminated from playoff contention today, he will be available for interviews immediately.

There are conflicting reports about whether or not Romeo Crennel has been fired already. Some reports say that it has already happened, others say it will happen as soon as tonight. The Browns are expected to interview Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo this week. With the Giants' first round bye, there is a one-week window, in which their assistants can be interviewed for other jobs.Savage will be remembered more for his off-field results than what happened on the field. The Browns were just 24-40 in his four years at the helm. But he had bad public relations issues this season as he got into a public spat with tight end Kellen Winslow, talked about Crennel's job status during the season and then dropped expletives in an email to a fan.

What a year for the Browns? Staph infections became a problem again, the team has had just two winning season since re-joining the league ten years ago and there is this funk over the entire organization.

So, who wants the job?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-28-2008 @ 10:27PM

JJ said...

The Browns have turned into "The Land of Misfit Toys," and Phil and Romeo were just both out of their depths, plain and simple. Cowher is an excellent choice (and is rumored to have a home in the Cleveland area) but Randy is gonna have to decide if he wants to pay the big bucks that go with the star power Cowher lends, and is willing to let him coach AND be g.m. With no Arena Football next year, Randy can be more hands-on than he has been, and who knows if he has a clue, or is willing to spend the dough. God knows Browns fans deserve better than this year's embarrassment.

12-29-2008 @ 1:02AM

T said...

Everyone in the Browns front office needs to go. Not just Savage. This organization needs leadership that will light a fire under the asses of the players and have the balls enough to bench or be rid of the players who can't play up to their potential. I can think of at least 3 games the Browns should have won (before the QB's were injured). I was there when the defense let the Ravens score 24 unanswered points in the second half to destory a 14 point lead and lose momentum of the game not to mention dropped passes. This is a result of poor coaching. I can't speak for all Browns fans, but I sure am tired dropping hundreds of dollars each year at games only to be dissapointed with the results. The owner is doing the right thing here.

12-29-2008 @ 10:56AM

Maria Suarez said...

I totally agree...coming from a womens point of view I was hoping this would have happend a long time ago!! I've been a browns fan since I was a young girl, I'm now 48 and keep praying for the days of the cardiac kids!!! Lets go Browns!!!

12-29-2008 @ 2:47AM

Curt said...

JJ...there are more coaches available other than Cowher. The Browns will look elsewhere.............and should. Cowher still thinks he is still coaching the Squeelers. Just listen to him on tv.

12-29-2008 @ 9:32AM

bob said...

I've watched the browns for a whole lot of years. I've seen good teams, bad teams and alot of mediocure teams but...... NEVER have I seen the couching staff give up on a team the way this staff gave up a few weeks ago! This isn't a bad team it's just a direction-less team with no winning motivation. Last year they became motivated to save crennel's job, this year they couldn't even do that. I felt sorry for ken dorsey he was a scarifical lamb led to the slaughter. Several other players played there hearts out, good for them, the "stars" failed us!! Why play hard in a losing season. Maybe for team leadership or pride,

12-29-2008 @ 10:31AM

confirmed in cleveland...crennel is gone

12-29-2008 @ 11:32AM

Don said...

I do hope Randy will take his time finding the right people to run and coach this team.
Randy will get what he pays for in choosing the right people for the job.
As a season ticket holder and a Browns fan for over 40 years I have never been as discouraged as a fan as I have been since the new Browns came to replace the old Browns.
At least Modell gave us something to cheer about for many years before he cut our hearts out.

12-29-2008 @ 7:08PM

cam said...

You said it the new Browns suck bad how many games lost to the steelers?is it 10 in a row?I dont know how many 1 win in 18 attempts lol !

12-29-2008 @ 7:09PM

Cower says NO!!

12-30-2008 @ 7:17AM

Mario said...

The problem with many of these fired head coaches (Crennel, Weiss, Mangini, Norv Turner, Marvin Lewis, Chan Gailey, Bill Callahan, etc. is simple. Many of them were good O or D Coordinators. They should have remained in those positions. The jump to Head Coach is not the same. Cowher and Jimmie Johnson are smart to say no! Who wants to be a head coach in this day and age? Players are not the same anymore.