Marinelli talks again with Lions

By RICK STROUD
Published January 18, 2006

TAMPA - Rod Marinelli has emerged as a leading candidate for the Lions head coaching job.

The Bucs defensive line coach arrived in Detroit for a second interview Tuesday night and had dinner with general manager Matt Millen. He will meet this morning with owner William Clay Ford and vice chairman Bill Ford.

The job may be between Marinelli and former Saints coach Jim Haslett, who also has been invited for a second interview.

Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm, who met with Millen last week in Pittsburgh, could be out of the running. Because the Steelers play in the AFC Championship Sunday at Denver, the Lions can't contact Grimm until his season is over and the team could name a head coach by the end of the week.

Marinelli, 56, may have helped his chances by interviewing Monday for the Oakland Raiders head coaching job.

The longer the Lions wait, the harder it will for a new coach to assemble a staff.

If Marinelli can't land a head coaching job, he already is at the top of the list of several teams as defensive coordinator, including the Rams and Texans.

Marinelli's contract expires at the end of the month and the Bucs would like to retain him. But that seems unlikely, especially since the team denied him permission to interview for defensive coordinator positions with the Colts, Jets and Bears over the past several seasons.

That policy was reinforced again Tuesday when the Bucs denied the Green Bay Packers permission to interview linebackers coach Joe Barry for their defensive coordinator position.

NEW ORLEANS - The Saints will hire Dallas Cowboys assistant Sean Payton to his first NFL head coaching job, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, with a formal announcement expected today.

Payton has been a quarterbacks coach for three seasons under Bill Parcells in Dallas. He also held the title of assistant head coach. Before that, he was a New York Giants assistant.

Payton will succeed Jim Haslett, whose tenure lasted six years. The Saints were 3-13 in 2005.

"It's hard to look at their talent now compared to their record with all of the circumstances and things that they've gone through," Payton said last week.

Payton's background as a quarterbacks coach could serve him well. New Orleans is expected to draft a quarterback with the second pick.

When Payton interviewed for the job, he declined to comment on whether quarterback Aaron Brooks should stay or go, but he did say that the Saints asked him about developing a quarterback.

Payton would be the fifth coach hired since the end of the regular season. Openings remain in Buffalo, Oakland, Houston and St. Louis. The Bills on Tuesday interviewed interim Lions coach Dick Jauron.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini was hired as New York Jets coach Tuesday, becoming the youngest head coach in the NFL.

Mangini, a disciple of Bill Belichick, turns 35 Thursday.

"I thank you guys for having the vision to make me your head coach," Mangini said to general manager Terry Bradway and owner Woody Johnson.

It is believed Mangini will get between $2-million and $2.5-million per year over five years. Herman Edwards, who left to coach Kansas City, made $1.8-million in his final season, his fifth as a head coach with three playoff berths.

He emerged as the leading candidate last week. Though he is young and has been a coordinator for one season, he is regarded as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game after spending 10 of his 11 seasons in the NFL under Belichick.

BROWNS: A fan who ran onto the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium during a game was sentenced to spend Super Bowl weekend in jail. Nathan Mallett, 24, will begin his three-day sentence on Feb. 3 and won't be allowed to watch or listen to the game.

COLTS: The wife of cornerback Nick Harper will not face a felony battery charge for cutting him with a kitchen knife, a judge ruled. Daniell Harper, 31, still faces a criminal recklessness charge. Police said she she was upset because her husband would not speak to her.

49ERS: Norv Turner, fired as coach of the Oakland Raiders two weeks ago, was named offensive coordinator. Coach Mike Nolan was Turner's defensive coordinator in Washington from 1997-99. Also, assistant head coach Mike Singletary will stay with the 49ers after he was removed from the list of candidates for Detroit's head coaching job, Nolan said.

GIANTS: New York will not renew the contract of secondary coach Ron Milus.

PACKERS: Mike McCarthy hired three coaches and kept three others. He still must name a defensive staff and a quarterbacks coach. Returning are running back coach Edgar Bennett, offensive line coach Joe Philbin and assistant offensive line coach James Campen. Hired are Ty Knott (offensive quality control) Ben McAdoo (tight ends) and Jimmy Robinson (receivers).

PATRIOTS: Linebackers coach Dean Pees, 56, became defensive coordinator.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

[Last modified January 18, 2006, 01:11:13]