KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Romeo Crennel wants another chance to be a head coach in the NFL. He may have the opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs, if he can hold together a franchise in disarray over the next three weeks.
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Crennel spoke Tuesday for the first time since he was appointed interim coach, telling reporters on a conference call that he wants to be considered for the permanent job in Kansas City. He will lead the Chiefs through the end of the season after Todd Haley was fired on Monday.
"There were no conditions to this," Crennel said. "I want to try to be helpful in this situation, and I knew one of the ways I could be helpful was to be the interim coach."
The former Cleveland Browns head coach said his experience there left him with plenty to prove. He took over a moribund franchise and went 10-22 his first two years, getting the Browns on the cusp of making the playoffs after finishing 10-6 in 2007. Crennel received a contract extension, but the team slipped to 4-12 the following year and Crennel was let go.
"You know what? When I left Cleveland, one of the things I felt was that my competitive nature, my competitive energy that I have, I would like to be a head coach again and show I could get it done," Crennel said. "I know how to get it done and I think the experience will make me better."
"I know the respect Romeo commands in the locker room," Pioli said. "We talked with Romeo and I think he's someone we're definitely going to be talking to."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press