A couple of members of the extended Bill Parcells coaching tree may be jumping to another branch.
Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini, who both saw success as defensive coaches under Parcells protege Bill Belichick, are being contacted by the Saints as New Orleans looks to fill its defensive coordinator position, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Crennel and Mangini could both end up on the staff in two separate positions, according to another report by ESPN.
The head coach of the Saints, Sean Payton, also used to work under Parcells.
Crennel and Mangini were together in New England until 2004, when the Patriots won the last of their three Super Bowls. Crennel moved on to become the Browns head coach in 2005, and Mangini spent just one year in his place as defensive coordinator before leaving for the Jets.
Both men were especially adept as defensive coordinators, but neither had much success as a head coach. Mangini was fired from the Jets after a 23-25 run in three seasons, then he also had a poor stint in Cleveland, going 10-22 before being sacked after the 2010 season. He is now an analyst for ESPN.
Crennel went 24-40 in four seasons with Cleveland then 4-15 in Kansas City, where he took over near the end of the 2011 season. He was fired the day after last season ended.
Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was fired this week after the NFL reinstated Payton from a yearlong suspension related to the Bountygate scandal, and Payton said he would take his time looking over the coaching ranks before making a decision.
