He was in familiar surroundings. General manager Scott Pioli and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, both of whom he had worked with at multiple stops, were in Kansas City, and Anthony Pleasant and Otis Smith, whom he’d coached, were on the staff as well.
Last season, when Pioli’s first head coaching hire with the Chiefs, Todd Haley, was fired with three games left on the schedule, Crennel was tapped as interim head coach. But after Crennel led Kansas City to wins in two of those games - and ended the Packers’ pursuit of a 16-0 season - Pioli removed the interim tag.
“I think he’s the right guy for the job,’’ Pioli said. “I think he’s a tremendous football coach, he’s a tremendous leader, and he had the opportunity to do this job here the last three weeks and what I was able to see certainly showed that.
“I saw a team that was prepared, I saw a coaching staff and a team that was organized and that responded well, solid game plans, and solid execution. And again, in terms of the emotional component, their energy levels were really high. Additionally, I saw us doing some fundamental things very well.’’
Pioli added that playing fundamental football is critical to “not only achieving success but also to sustaining success.’’
Crennel said that in the days before the 2004 Super Bowl, he had begun to think he’d never get a head coaching shot. So he set his mind on being the best coordinator he could.
It was the same when he returned to coaching two years ago with the Chiefs: He did everything he could to be a superior defensive coordinator.
Now that he has gotten his second chance as a head coach, he feels better prepared.
Asked what he learned from his Cleveland tenure that he will use this time, Crennel said, “I think the scope of the job itself. As a first-time head coach, the scope of the job is a lot bigger than you anticipate or that you may realize.
“So having had that experience, the second time I can anticipate some things happening, know how to deal with some things that might happen that I wasn’t quite ready for the first time I had the job.
