The Rumor Mill 1/3/2009 12:07 AM Staff reports With most of the college positions filled, the attention in the rumor mill has turned to the professional game, where a number of firings have left some openings around the NFL. One such job is the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, where Romeo Crennel was let go after another poor showing this season. The Browns, though, must first fill the position of general manager so somebody is in place to do the hiring.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, New England vice president Scott Pioli is expected to interview for that job this week. If he is hired, Piloi would likely try to bring in Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. Pioli and Ferentz worked together for three seasons in Cleveland, where Ferentz was the offensive line coach.
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Perhaps the most shocking move at the conclusion of the NFL regular season was the Denver Broncos' decision to fire Mike Shanahan. The Broncos haven't wasted much time defending the decision to let the two-time Super Bowl champion go. Instead, they are moving full-speed ahead in their search for a replacement.
According to the Denver Post, the Broncos have confirmed that they will meet with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spangnuolo, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Raheem Morris. The Broncos are also trying to gauge the interest of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, but those talks will likely remain calm until after the BCS championship game.
The publication also reported that former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and Southern California head coach Pete Carroll could be on the list of candidates.
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Staying with the topic of Bill Cowher, the New York Jets apparently made a big push to try to get the former Super Bowl champion to replace the fired Eric Mangini. Cowher apparently entered into preliminary discussions with the Jets before informing the team he was not interested in the job. According to the New York Post, part of the hangup for Cowher was that the Jets were not willing to give him a guarantee that Brett Favre was no longer in the picture at quarterback. Cowher had no interest in dealing with the former Hall of Fame signal caller.
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Other openings around the league include head coaching jobs with the Oakland Raiders and the St. Louis Rams. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Raiders will first look at Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Raiders advance scout Paul Hackett and Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Former Giants coach Jim Fassel has also openly lobbied for the job.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan could be on the list, as well as current interim head coach Jim Haslett, who has the support of many of the players.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
According to Mike Florio of CollegeFootballTalk.com, it appears as though South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier will be staying put. Florio said he heard rumors earlier in the season that Spurrier was planning to retire, but Spurrier denied the rumors as his team prepared for the Outback Bowl. Florio indicated that he was expecting the tone to change after the game, but at this point it looks as though Spurrier will be back in Columbia next season.
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BASEBALL
According to ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers may be looking to unload former Braves center fielder Andruw Jones. Jones struggled mightily at the plate during his first year with the Dodgers, and Joe Torrre's club is not sure if they want to hold onto his hefty price tag for another year.
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According to Tracy Ribgolsby of the Rocky Mountain News, the Yankees are looking to move two from a group of outfielders that includes Xavier Nady, Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui. The Angles, As, Rangers and Braves are considered to have interest. The Braves attempted to acquire Swisher from the White Sox before the Yankees did.
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