New at the helm.(new football coaches)(Brief Article)

TSN senior writer Dan Pompei's take on the league's seven new coaches:

* Buffalo: The oddsmakers would have made GREGG WILLIAMS a 100-to-1 shot for this job, but Bills G.M. Tom Donahoe could not have found a better candidate. Williams oversaw the No. 1 defense in the NFL. Under Jeff Fisher in Tennessee, Williams learned from one of the league's best head coaches and was part of one of the league's best-run organizations. He has a diverse background, having played quarterback in college and having coached special teams before becoming a defensive coach. Williams is a superb communicator and teacher and should be an outstanding head coach.

* Cleveland: BUTCH DAVIS, who arrived from the University of Miami, is as qualified as any coach who was available, but he really held the Browns up. Davis signed a deal believed to be worth close to $3.5 million a year, and he was given control over personnel. That's a lot to give a man who has yet to win his first NFL game. The personnel part makes little sense. Davis won't be able to turn water into wine any more than Chris Palmer, yet the terms under which Davis was hired imply that's what will be expected.

* Detroit: MARTY MORNHINWEG was an excellent hire by Lions CEO and president Matt Millen. Mornhinweg excels at the rarest and most precious commodity among coaches--getting the most out of quarterbacks. Significantly, he is the only one of the new hires to have an offensive coaching background. Under Mornhinweg's guidance, Brett Favre and Steve Young had career years, and Jeff Garcia went from the Canadian Football League to the Pro Bowl. It would be a surprise if Charlie Batch didn't elevate his game next season. Mornhinweg has excellent leadership abilities, people skills and toughness. Like Andy Reid, Steve Mariucci and Mike Sherman, Mornhinweg learned his lessons well from Mike Holmgren.

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