It's hard to say that there's ever a 'good' situation for a first-year head coach in the NFL. Obviously there are varying degrees of how bad things are for each particular situation, but it's never great. Romeo Crennel may already have head coaching experience from his time coaching the Cleveland Browns, but his particular situation right now with the Kansas City Chiefs isn't on the tougher end of the spectrum. He's inheriting a roster that has enough talent to compete, which they showed last year when they won the AFC West division with a 10-6 record.
Even this year with all of the injuries the Chiefs were still just one blocked field goal away from defending their AFC West title and heading back to the playoffs again. They finished the season with a 7-9 record and did that without their star running back, Jamaal Charles, and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, who were put on injured reserve just two games into the season. Throw in an injured Tony Moeaki and Matt Cassel and you have the recipe for a tough season, but also for a bounce back season in 2012.
A healthy Chiefs team in 2012 is going to be right there in the discussion as being one of the favorites to win the AFC West. All of this had to be a part of the discussion when Scott Pioli and company decided to bring back Romeo Crennel as head coach heading into next season. The cupboard wasn't bare in Kansas City and the roster isn't in need of major changes.
Therefore one thing that became vital for the success of the Chiefs in 2012 and that was continuity. The players and assistant coaches already know Romeo Crennel, or RAC, as they call him. They know his personality, his temperament, his expectations, and he's knows them. This is often overlooked or as seen as something that isn't that important but it is very important. These players might not know Crennel as head coach yet, but they do know some about him and they do respect him.
Crennel was the right choice for the Chiefs heading into the 2012 season. While it may prove to not be a long-term thinking type of hire, it has already proven to be the right decision at the time.