49ers to Interview Two More for Job

The San Francisco 49ers plan to look at two more NFL coordinators as candidates for their head coaching vacancy.

Scheduled for interviews this week are Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger and New York Giant defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, a 49er spokesman said Monday.

John York, the 49er owner, will interview Heimerdinger today and Lewis on Wednesday. York already has interviewed New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.

Heimerdinger has been in charge of Tennessee’s offense for five years. He was with the Denver Broncos before joining the Titans.

Lewis was defensive coordinator for the last four seasons of a nine-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Giants in January 2004.

York fired Dennis Erickson as coach and dismissed Terry Donahue as general manager last week after the 49ers finished 2-14, matching the worst record in franchise history.

York apparently was interested in interviewing USC’s Pete Carroll, but the Trojan coach said he wasn’t interested in the job.

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Saying the organization knew how he felt, Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees said after the AFC West-champion San Diego Chargers’ last meeting that he wanted a long-term contract from the club.

The Chargers were knocked out of the playoffs Saturday night in a 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Jets in a wild-card game at home.

Brees has reached the end of his four-year contract. Speculation is the Chargers will put the “franchise” tag on him and give him a $9-million contract. Then, they can trade him or let him compete for the starting job with Philip Rivers, who the Chargers got in a draft-day trade to be their quarterback of the future.

General Manager A.J. Smith refused to comment on Brees.

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Terry Robiskie interviewed with Cleveland Brown management for the head coaching position that became open when Butch Davis resigned during the season.

The Browns struggled with Robiskie as offensive coordinator, lost four games in a row with him as interim coach and finished 4-12.

Robiskie is the fourth candidate interviewed by the Browns, joining New England’s Crennel, Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brad Childress and Pittsburgh offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

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Former Miami Dolphin interim coach Jim Bates said he’ll seek work elsewhere rather than remain with the team as an assistant to new Coach Nick Saban.

When Dave Wannstedt resigned as coach in November, Bates was promoted from defensive coordinator and led Miami to three victories in its last seven games.

Saban said three of his assistants at Louisiana State would join the Dolphins: Derek Dooley, Will Muschamp and Bobby Williams. Scott O’Brien was hired as coordinator of football operations.

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In yet another name change, Miami’s Pro Player Stadium, known as Joe Robbie Stadium when it opened in 1987, will become Dolphins Stadium.

Plans are in the works to expand the facility and possibly add a permanent or retractable roof, team owner Wayne Huizenga said.

A three-phase renovation is planned for the stadium, with the first phase estimated to cost $100 million to $125 million.

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A month before thousands of people arrive in Jacksonville, Fla., for the Super Bowl on Feb. 6, a county judge ruled the city’s ban on drinking alcohol in public is unconstitutional because it is selectively enforced and gives too much authority to the mayor to make exemptions.

The decision is the result of a challenge to the arrest of three homeless men charged with drinking beer in the city’s Treaty Oak Park, an area where Super Bowl fans would be allowed to drink.