Soon after the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Romeo Crennel, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher was quickly taken off the list of possible replacements.

Browns owner Randy Lerner had a secret meeting with Cowher on Saturday to discuss the situation.

During the meeting Cowher explained he wasn’t interested.

“The explanation that he gave,” Lerner said, “was that he was very focused on his kids and his life in North Carolina, and the way he’s living in a noncoaching or, if you will, a civilian existence, and that he wasn’t finished with that.”

The Browns are loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball, and they wil be expected to make the playoffs next season. They need to bring in a experienced, veteren coach like Marty Schottenheimer, for example.