Romeo Crennel Romeo " Rac " Crennel ( born June 18 , 1947 ) has served at several levels of coaching in American football . Playing career . Crennel played baseball and football at Fort Knox ( Ky . ) High School and Central ( Va . ) High School before committing to college football at Western Kentucky . Although he was a four - year starter as a defensive lineman , he became an offensive lineman during his senior season at the request of the coaching staff . He was named the team ' s MVP after the switch but was not drafted and never played in the NFL . While the move did hinder his draft chances , it increased his knowledge of the game , by experiencing the trenches from both the offensive and defensive side of the football . Crennel earned a bachelor ’ s degree in physical education from Western Kentucky University , and then a master ’ s degree while serving as a graduate assistant for the school in 1970 . Coaching career . College . Western Kentucky University . After one season as a graduate assistant with Western Kentucky ( 1970 ) , Crennel served as the defensive line coach for three seasons ( 1971 – 1974 ) . Texas Tech . After four seasons at WKU , he became an assistant for defensive coordinator Bill Parcells and head coach Steve Sloan at Texas Tech for three seasons ( 1975 – 1977 ) . Ole Miss and Georgia Tech . Crennel finished his collegiate career with two seasons as the defensive ends coach for Ole Miss ( 1978 – 1979 ) and one season as the defensive line coach for Georgia Tech ( 1980 ) . National Football League . Assistant coach . New York Giants . After spending two seasons as an assistant with the New York Giants , Crennel became the special teams coach for seven seasons ( 1983 – 1989 ) and the defensive line coach for three seasons ( 1990 – 1992 ) . In 1983 , he was reunited with Parcells as the head coach . When Parcells stepped down as Giants head coach after Super Bowl XXV , Crennel stayed with the team under the two - year tenure of Ray Handley . New England Patriots and New York Jets . Crennel left the Giants after the 1992 season and worked as the defensive line coach for the New England Patriots for four seasons ( 1993 – 1996 ) and for the New York Jets for three seasons ( 1997 – 1999 ) during the time that Parcells was the head coach in each franchise . Cleveland Browns . Crennel was hired as the Cleveland Browns ' defensive coordinator for the 2000 season . Back to New England . After one season in Cleveland , he filled the same role with the Patriots for four seasons ( 2001 – 2004 ) under long - time friend Bill Belichick ; helping lead New England to 3 Super Bowl victories : ( 2001 , 2003 , & 2004 ) . Kansas City Chiefs . On January 13 , 2010 , Crennel was hired as the Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator , reuniting him with offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and General Manager Scott Pioli from their days with the Patriots . Post - Kansas City . In January 2013 , Crennel ' s name surfaced to become the new defensive coordinator for the St . Louis Rams . Head coach . Before beginning the 2003 playoffs with the Patriots , Crennel interviewed for head coaching positions with six teams in under 36 hours . He was not offered any jobs , however , and was passed up by the New York Giants , the Buffalo Bills , the Arizona Cardinals , the Chicago Bears , and the Atlanta Falcons . Cleveland Browns . Crennel went 6 - 10 and 4 - 12 in his first two seasons with the Browns , finishing last or tied for last in the AFC North and missing the playoffs each year . The Browns finished the 2007 season with a 10 - 6 record , just falling short of making the playoffs . Crennel ' s success in the 2007 season earned him a two - year contract extension in January 2008 . On December 29 , 2008 , following a disappointing 4 - 12 season , Crennel was fired by the Browns . Kansas City Chiefs . Following Todd Haley ' s termination as the team ' s head coach after 13 games in the 2011 season , Crennel was named the team ' s interim head coach for the remaining 3 games of the season . Crennel won his first game as the interim head coach of the Chiefs on December 18 , 2011 against the then undefeated Green Bay Packers 19 - 14 , which was significant as Crennel snapped the Packers ' 19 - game winning streak and ended their hopes for a perfect season . Crennel finished his stint as interim head coach with a 2 - 1 record . On January 9 , 2012 Crennel was named the Chiefs ' permanent head coach . Three days later , Crennel announced his intent to remain as defensive coordinator during his tenure as head coach . On November 5 , 2012 , Crennel announced he would be stepping down as defensive coordinator and named linebackers coach Gary Gibbs to the vacant position , after an 1 – 7 start to the season . On December 1 , 2012 , Crennel attempted to prevent the suicide of player Jovan Belcher by talking to him and witnessed his death by a self - inflicted gunshot wound to the head . The following day , Crennel coached his team to a 27 - 21 victory over the Carolina Panthers , the Chiefs ' first home victory since defeating the Packers the previous season , and the only other home win during his tenure . On December 31 , 2012 , it was announced that Crennel had been fired from the Chiefs . Coaching tree . NFL head coaches under whom Romeo Crennel has served : Personal . Crennel ' s younger brother Carl Crennel played one season in the NFL and several seasons in the Canadian Football League . Crennel had hip replacement surgery in early 2009 and decided to sit - out the 2009 football season while recuperating . On the morning of December 1 , 2012 , he reportedly witnessed Chiefs player Jovan Belcher commit suicide at Arrowhead Stadium .