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More Parcells Blood … Friday Cup O’Chiefs
January 29, 2010 - Bob Gretz
The Parcells transfusion to the Kansas City Chiefs continues.
As Todd Haley remakes his coaching staff for the 2000 season, there appears to be one requirement for a job: the new coach must have been part of the New York Jets in 1999.
Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Richie Anderson, Anthony Pleasant and Bernie Parmalee (left) all have been hired to full-time coaching jobs with the 2010 Chiefs and they share only one obvious trait: they were all working in some capacity for Parcells with the Jets in that ‘99 season. So was Haley, who was in his first year as a position coach, handling the wide receivers. The offensive line coach of the Jets that season was Bill Muir, now the Chiefs O-Line coach.
Weis was the team’s offensive coordinator, Crennel was the defensive line coach and Anderson, Pleasant and Parmalee were all on the Jets roster. Anderson and Parmalee were running backs, working with Weis. Pleasant was the starting right defensive end and Crennel was his position coach.
The coaching moves the Chiefs announced on Thursday were evidence of Haley working towards creating a staff that has the same foundation and values of his personality and constitution as head coach.
He did not have that last year.
Whether because it was mandated to him by those above (Clark Hunt and/or Scott Pioli), or because he was so late getting the job as Chiefs head coach that options for the coaching staff were limited, Haley’s ‘09 staff was a hodgepodge of personalities and approaches to the game. There were six coaches that were carried over from Herm Edwards staff in ‘08 to last year’s group: offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, assistant offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, defensive line coach Tim Krumrie and strength and conditioning coaches Cedric Smith and Brent Salazar.
Only Smith and Salazar are left, as far as anybody knows; there have been no announcements of any changes to their status. Gailey was fired back in early September, replaced by Haley and now Weis. Bicknell has gone on to Gailey’s Buffalo coaching staff, replaced by Parmalee. Also going to the Bills, D’Alessandris’ spot on the Haley’s staff has been filled by Pat Perles, who was moved over from defensive quality control. No one has been named to take Krumrie’s spot as defensive line coach, although that’s the position Crennel has handled in the past. Pleasant will certainly spend his time working there, although his title is defensive assistant.
So in year No. 2, Haley’s coaching staff is starting to take a shape that is more fitting to his personality and how he wants to approach the game. On paper, it’s also a better coaching staff than the one the Chiefs had last year. Weis and Crennel are major upgrades on both sides of the football in comparison to Haley as offensive coordinator and Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator. In combination with Steve Hoffman handling the kicking game, the team now has three talented and proven coordinators.
Bicknell-D’Alessandris-Krumrie are talented coaching veterans who can get the job done in the right situation. It’s readily apparent that right situation was not working with Haley in Kansas City. Whether Parmalee-Anderson-Pleasant are coaches of the same quality, they will have to show that in the ‘10 season. One thing for sure: they have a better understanding of what Haley wants and expects.
That’s because they are all branches from that Parcells tree.
HERE’S MORE ON THE NEW COACHES
ANDERSON: A native of Maryland, he will not turn 39 until the first week of the 2010 season. Anderson played 13 seasons in the NFL, after coming out of Penn State University as a sixth-round choice in the 1993 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He sent 10 seasons with the Jets and then two years with the Cowboys under Parcells before a herniated disc in his neck ended his playing career. Anderson joined the Jets staff in 2005 for two seasons. In 2007, he went to Arizona to join the Cardinals staff of first-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt. But in March of that year, he was arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute, who turned out to be an undercover Phoenix police officer. The Cardinals fired him and he was out of work until Haley brought him in last October to take over the receiver position.
PARMALEE: The 42-year old New Jersey native spent nine seasons playing for the Dolphins (1992-98) and Jets (1999-2000). He took part in a tryout with the Dolphins after working for UPS after he came out of Ball State. In 2002 he started a three-year stint with the Dolphins as special teams and tight ends coach on Dave Wannstedt’s coaching staff. He moved on to Weis’ staff with the Fighting Irish, where for five seasons he handled special teams and tight ends. Parmalee helped develop a couple of Irish TEs that were second round selections in the NFL Draft: Anthony Fasano in 2006 and John Carlson in 2008. Both have put together good starts to their pro careers.
PLEASANT: He worked with the Chiefs all through the ‘09 season, spending extra time with outside linebackers and defensive ends and teaching them pass rush moves. The 42-year old Florida native played 14 seasons in the NFL, starting as a third round selection in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Pleasant played six seasons with the Browns and one with the Ravens in their first season playing in Baltimore. He moved on to the Falcons, Jets, 49ers and Patriots, where he won a pair of Super Bowl rings in his final two seasons. This is his first coaching job.
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"old enough to remember what a red and gold super bowl looks like"
"hopefully young enough to see another"
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