It’s The Parcells Chiefs … Friday Cup O’Chiefs

Consider the Chiefs franchise like one of those hyphenated universities. It’s not Patriots or Foxboro West.

It’s actually the University of Parcells-Kansas City campus.

With the formal addition and introduction of Romeo Crennel as defensive coordinator on Thursday, the Chiefs believe they have the big pieces to their coaching puzzle in place. And while there’s a definite look of the New England Patriots to the picture these days, it really has more to do with Bill Parcells, the Big Tuna, the two-time Super Bowl winning coach and current czar of football with the Miami Dolphins.

Call them the Kansas City Tunas.

It’s not just that Scott Pioli, Todd Haley, Charlie Weis and Crennel all worked for Parcells. With the exception of Pioli, it was Parcells that played a key role in the other three getting their first jobs in the NFL:

CRENNEL – coached the defensive line when Parcells was the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech. Several years later, Parcells was working for the Giants and head coach Ray Perkins was looking for an entry level coach to help with defense and special teams. Parcells mentioned Crennel, who at the time was with Georgia Tech. Crennel was hired, was part of Parcells staff when he took over in 1983. Crennel joined the Patriots staff in 1993 when Parcells took over as head coach in New England. When Parcells bolted for the Jets in 1997, Crennel went with him.

WEIS – earned his first NFL job in 1990, when Parcells hired him for his Giants coaching staff. When Parcells came out of retirement to coach the Patriots, Weis was hired. When Parcells jumped to the Jets, Weis went along.

HALEY – earned his first NFL coaching job in 1997 with the Jets, after two years as a personnel department assistant. He worked those three seasons with Parcells staff in New York, re-joined the Tuna in 2004 with the Cowboys, where he spent three years working on the offensive side for the Boys.

All three of those guys were with the Jets from 1997 through 1999, when Parcells left the sidelines and moved into the general manager’s role. So was Pioli, who was the director of player personnel. Two important parts of Haley’s offensive staff were there as well in assistant head coach/running backs coach Maurice Carthon and offensive line coach Bill Muir. Carthon played for Parcells with the Giants, coached first with him in New England and then went to the Jets and ultimately the Cowboys. Muir was with the Jets when Parcells arrived, but stayed there as the offensive line coach through his tenure.

Also part of that Parcells coaching tree with the Giants, Patriots and Jets was Bill Belichick. When Parcells retired the second time, Weis and Crennel went to New England to work for Belichick.

When it comes to what happens on the football field, the Parcells influence is all encompassing. He’s provided the top three with a common background and understanding of the game and what’s important. When Haley talks about Weis and Crennel being the right fit, it all goes back to the time they spent together at the Parcells School.

“I’m fortunate enough that Romeo wants to be part of my staff and I jumped at the opportunity to make him part of my staff,” Haley said on Thursday. “Again, I’m just really excited about being able to work again with Romeo. He has five Super Bowl rings. He’s one of the great coaches in my mind and is a guy that I’ve looked up to ever since I’ve known him, and honored that he would want to come work for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Crennel said familiarity with his bosses and co-workers was a very important part of his decision.

“Part of the reason is that I know many of the guys on staff; I know who they are, I know how they coach, I know how competitive they are, and I want to work with guys like that,” Crennel said. “The relationship that Todd and I have started back in New York, I saw him develop as a young coach on the field and grow in this profession and now he’s sitting here in charge of this program and I’m just excited about being able to try to help him.

“It is good to be back around those guys. On the offensive side of the ball I have worked with Bill Muir, Maurice Carthon, Richie Anderson, and Charlie Weis. With Todd (Haley) here, I know Scott (Pioli) and Chris Caminiti in administration and Dave Price, the trainer. All of that was important in my decision to come here and try to help build the program.”

So while all this may have a tinge of Patriots red and blue, it is really more about Parcells and the lessons and training he’s handed down during his career. They’ve all run their units and teams with the tough love concept. They demand accountability from their players, and not just from Day One of training camp to the final game. There are no back rubs from these guys; more likely it’s a kick in the butt. They don’t even count the hours that they work; it’s all part of the business of getting the job done. They view those outside the sphere of the team (coaches, players and staff) with some disdain and concern.

Most of all they are not tied up with developing west coast offenses, or the zone blitz defense. They will use whatever and whomever they have their disposal to win, whether its offense, defense or special teams.

For the players, the atmosphere is not hard to understand. The Parcells way is simply this: if we picked you for the team, it’s because we’ve seen something you can provide us with. If you are not up to that task, we’ll send you on your way and find somebody who can handle the job.

All these Parcells disciples have set up shop here in Middle America, pulling together for another crusade to capture the Super Bowl flag. Combined, Haley, Weis, Crennel, Carthon and Muir have played or coached in 17 Super Bowls, and among them they have a dozen Super Bowl rings: Crennel (5), Weis (4), Carthon (2) and Muir (1).

The favorite hobby of Parcells – and reportedly Crennel – is horse racing. Parcells built a home in Saratoga Springs, New York, so he could be close to the track there during the summer when the ponies run in late July to late August. So much of judging the potential of a horse comes from its lineage; what did his mother do and who was his father. Great horses don’t always produce great sires on the track. But it’s one of the factors that the horse crowd considers very important in evaluating.

Football coaches are not horses. If they were, very few would be thoroughbreds. Instead, they would be big, old plow horses.

But there’s no doubt that the lineage of Haley/Weis/Crennel is a very good one.

Now, let’s see how the run the race together.

SIGNINGS, HIRINGS, FIRINGS AND OTHER MOVEMENT AROUND THE LEAGUE

• EAGLES – named Bobby April (Bills) special teams coach; fired special teams coach Ted Daisher, strength and conditioning coach mike Wolf and assistant strength and conditioning coach Jay Merlena.
• GIANTS – hired Perry Fewell (Bills) as their defensive coordinator.
• PANTHERS – fired special teams coach Danny Crossman.
• PATRIOTS – defensive coordinator Dean Pees has decided to leave the team.

FROM THE PAGES OF SUPER BOWL HISTORY

On January 15, 1978, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII at the Superdome in New Orleans. It was the first Super Bowl played indoors.

The Dallas defense was the story of this game, as they allowed Denver just 156 offensive yards and forced eight Denver turnovers, four interceptions and four recovered fumbles and had four sacks. Broncos QB Craig Morton hit just four out of 15 passes for 39 yards and those four interceptions before he was lifted from the game. Staubach finished the game 17 out of 25 for 183 yards and a TD pass, hitting WR Butch Johnson for a 46-yard score. Rookie RB Tony Dorsett had the game’s first touchdown, on a three-yard run in the first quarter. Johnson’s catch came in the third and then RB Robert Newhouse connected on a 29-yard TD pass to WR Golden Richards in the fourth quarter. Dallas also got a pair of Efren Herrera FGs.

For the first and only time in Super Bowl history, two players were named MVP: DE Harvey Martin and DT Randy White of the Cowboys. Dorsett became the first player to win a college national championship one year and the Super Bowl the next; his Pitt Panthers won the ‘76 national title with a victory in the Superdome. The referee was Jim Tunney. The game was broadcast by CBS, with Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier handling the duties. A 30-second commercial for the game cost $162,000. The national anthem was sung by Philly Kelly of Northeast Louisiana State and the half-time show featured the Tyler (Texas) Junior College Apache Belles and jazz performers Pete Fountain and Al Hirt.

FROM THE PAGES OF AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY

On January 15, 1995, the San Diego Chargers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 in the ‘94 AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Chargers offense slapped the Blitzburgh defense of the Steelers, even though they rang up just 226 yards in total offense. But they made those yards count, as QB Stan Humphries threw two touchdown passes of 43 yards to TE Alfred Pupunu and WR Tony Martin. Pittsburgh managed just one TD, as FB John L. Williams scored on a 16-yard run. They also had a pair of Gary Anderson FGs. Steelers QB Neil O’Donnell was 32 of 54 for 349 yards, but couldn’t throw the ball into the end zone.

SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …

Born on January 15, 1965 in Clearwater, Florida was WR/RB/KR/PR Michael Clemons (right). He was selected in the eighth round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of the College of William & Mary. Clemons played in eight games during that rookie season with the Chiefs, carrying the ball twice for seven yards, returning 19 punts for an average of 8.5 yards and one kickoff for three yards. He was released and tried to make the Tampa Bay roster in ‘89, but was released there as well. That’s when he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Clemons became one of the most productive players in CFL history, finishing his career with 25,438 combined yards (rushing/receiving/returning). He was given the nickname “Pinball” because of his 5-6 physical size and his reckless running style. Clemons played 12 seasons and before he was done he was chosen the CFL’s most outstanding player in 1990 with a record 3,300 all-purpose yards. He broke his own record seven years later with 3,840 yards. Clemons’ No. 31 was retired, one of only four set aside by the Argonauts. He did two stints as the Argos head coach, posting a 68-55-1 record and a Grey Cup championship in 2004.

Born on January 15, 1951 in Emporia, Kansas was DE John Lohmeyer. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of Emporia State. Lohmeyer played four seasons with the Chiefs (1973, 1975-77), appearing in 41 games with 15 starts. He missed the ‘74 season because of a neck injury he suffered at the end of the previous year. Lohmeyer had seven career sacks and recovered six fumbles, including one that he returned 19 yards for a touchdown against Houston in his rookie season.