Jets Consider Giving Top Job To Belichick

With the price for Bill Parcells apparently too steep, the New York Jets may turn to another Bill - one with a less impressive resume.

The Jets spoke Monday with Bill Belichick, the former Cleveland Browns coach and Parcells’ defensive coordinator with both the New England Patriots and New York Giants. While Belichick has won two Super Bowls and an AFC title working under Parcells, his record in five seasons as head coach of the Browns was 36-44.

He is not the coach the Jets really want to lead their turnaround. But with negotiations to acquire Parcells’ services from New England going nowhere, the Jets are considering Belichick to replace Rich Kotite.

How long would Belichick stay?

Perhaps just one year, as an interim coach until Parcells is available. Belichick then would return to the defensive coordinator’s position, albeit as a very highly paid assistant.

Other teams were interested in Belichick as a head coach, most notably the Oakland Raiders, who hired Joe Bugel last week.

But the Jets want someone close to Parcells, for whom the Patriots are demanding the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft. That way, a league source said, the Jets could continue trying to sign him.

Belichick clearly is not Parcells.

Cleveland had one winning season in Belichick’s five years in charge. In 1994, the Browns were 11-5 and lost to Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs. Otherwise, they went 6-10, 7-9, 7-9 and 5-11.

Of course, those records all would qualify as overwhelming success after Kotite went 3-13 and 1-15.

Pasadena may receive handoff

Even as NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue commended San Diego for its expansion of Jack Murphy Stadium, the league was preparing to hand off the 1998 Super Bowl to Pasadena if construction is stopped by a judge.

“We want very, very much to play Super Bowl XXXII here, and we want it to be what it is for most sports fans, which is the dream of a lifetime, and not a nightmare,” Tagliabue told 600 business and political leaders at a Super Bowl Task Force luncheon.

A group of activists has legally challenged the expansion of the stadium from 61,000 to 71,500 seats. A lawsuit will be heard by a Superior Court judge on Feb. 20. If the $78 million project is halted, the NFL will have no choice but to yank the Super Bowl. Tagliabue said a contingency contract with the Rose Bowl could be signed as early as this week.

San Francisco City supervisor Amos Brown officially announced plans to introduce legislation for a 75,000-seat, football-only stadium for the 49ers. The new facility would be built near the current 3Com Park and would feature a movie theater and retail shops.

A measure detailing the stadium plan will be presented to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and he hoped it would appear on the June 3 ballot. The proposed new stadium will cost $325 million, paid through revenue bonds and increment financing. The city of San Francisco will be asked to contribute a maximum of $100 million, while the 49ers will be responsible for the balance of the project costs.

Comings and goings

Dexter Carter, San Francisco’s top draft pick in 1990, was waived along with running back Derek Loville and defensive back Dedrick Dodge. Loville and Carter both were former starters at halfback for the 49ers while Dodge was the team’s nickel back and reserve safety… . Miami terminated the contracts of defensive back J.B. Brown and linebacker Chris Singleton.

Hall of Famer Art Shell has been named offensive line coach of the Atlanta Falcons, one of two assistants hired by new coach Dan Reeves. Renie Simmons, a former assistant for the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers, was named receivers coach… . Former Oakland Raiders coach Mike White was hired by the St. Louis Rams as assistant head coach and tight ends coach, joining new Rams coach Dick Vermeil’s staff… . Mike Pope, whose tenure with the Super Bowl runner-up New England Patriots ended after Parcells resigned, was named the Redskins tight ends coach.

Former all-pro dies at 85

Ed Danowski, one of the stars of the 1934 “Sneaker Game” and a former All-NFL back for the New York Giants, is dead at age 85.

Danowski died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He starred at Fordham from 1931 to 1933, and led the NFL in passing from 1935 to 1938. He was also a punter.

He is best known for running for one touchdown and throwing for another in the Giants’ 30-13 win over Chicago for the 1934 league championship. In that game, played on a frozen field at the Polo Grounds, the Giants changed into sneakers at halftime after trailing 10-3.