New York Post: Mangini hot for the Jets
 

http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/60346.htm


January 14, 2006 -- DENVER — If the Jets want Eric Mangini as their next head coach, the feeling is very mutual, The Post learned exclusively last night.

Although Bill Belichick has been trying to talk Mangini out of taking the Jets job, Mangini will make his own decision, and that decision would be to accept a fair Jets' offer if one is, indeed, made.

The Jets' heavy-breathing interest in the Patriots' defensive coordinator and Belichick disciple is one of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL. The Jets are scheduled to interview Mangini tomorrow near Foxborough, Mass., and he's believed to be at the top of the team's wish list.

The level of Mangini's interest in the Jets has been a question of significance that's been raised in recent days.

One question has been whether Belichick, who has no love for the Jets, the team he jilted in 2000, would try to talk Mangini out of taking the Jets job if offered.

Another has been whether Mangini's loyalty to Belichick, who has raised him in his NFL career to date, would keep him in New England awaiting an offer from another team down the road.

The answers to those questions are "Yes" and "No."

Yes, Belichick already has started whispering in Mangini's ear that the Jets job is not a good one and he should wait for a better opportunity.

And, no, Mangini will not listen to Belichick on this issue and is prepared to accept the Jets' job if it's offered to him, provided they don't completely low-ball him financially. Mangini, who makes between $600,000 and $700,000 a year with New England, probably would need to be offered $2 million per year. Herman Edwards was making a shade less than $2 million.

"From what I hear, this is not about whether Mangini will turn [the Jets] down," a current NFL assistant coach told The Post. "There is zero chance of Belichick talking him out of it. That's not happening. From what I'm hearing, if they offer him the job, he's going to end up taking it."

Jets owner Woody Johnson is borderline obsessed with the Patriots' way of doing things and is believed to covet Mangini despite the fact Johnson initially preferred a head coach with previous experience. It appears Johnson is willing to make an exception in this case.

For those skeptical about Mangini's age (he'll be 35 on Jan. 19) and one year of experience as a coordinator, there is recent precedent. The Jaguars hired Jack Del Rio after one year as defensive coordinator in Carolina.

The Jets obviously are rooting hard for the Patriots to lose to the Broncos tonight, because it would expedite their proceedings with Mangini. If New England wins, the Jets cannot make a formal offer to him until the Patriots' season is complete.

Either way, we should know a lot more about the Jets' direction in the coming days.

Should New England win and the Jets drag on their search, that would be a clear sign they have a handshake agreement with Mangini, much the same way the Browns did with Romeo Crennel last year.

Should New England lose and Mangini is, indeed, the Jets' man and wants in, the Jets could have a press conference announcing their new head coach by midweek.

The Jets have interviewed six candidates (Jim Haslett, Joe Vitt, Donnie Henderson, Mike Heimerdinger, Mike Westhoff and Tim Lewis), and have Mangini and Mike Tice (Monday) scheduled.

Heimerdinger said yesterday of his interview, "I think it went well. They didn't kick me out after 15 minutes."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

By the time I got through the second line I knew this was a hack job. What a piece of garbage! I doubt very strongly that the writer or his source have any idea what, if anything, BB is advising Mangini. This is nothing but a painfully obvious attempt to continue the soap opera of the JEsts.

I hope you're right. Cannizzaro doesn't hold much cred with most Jet fans. He was basically Herm Edwards' mouth piece throughout his tenure with the Jets leading to mostly unbalanced reporting on his part.

You read my mind. That's exactly what I thought. But it's been a natural assumption made by the media that BB will/ is trying to talk Mangini out of taking the job because of what happened to him at Cleveland. But the people who know him best have said that BB wouldn't do that.

I agree this is a hack job - it is The Post after all. But it is widely speculated that BB will advise Mangini against taking this particular job for very good reasons The Post chose not to delve into. What is fairly obvious is they have little or no sourcing regarding Mangini's state of mind. Rather this is clearly a "who wouldn't take this job" kind of piece. Hey, if he turns it down The Post can always question his mental status. I love the part about how wild Woody Johnson is for Mangini after apparently having to be talked into him. That would set up perfectly the ass-canning of 1. Mangini and 2. Bradway if the JETS can't be turned around in short order.

Great example with Del Rio who after three seasons with his Marshall QB managed to post 12 wins on a weak schedule only to get his ass kicked by BB in the WC round. Oddly, while it would be an improvement over 2005, I doubt JETS management would have Mangini's back were he to go 5-11, 9-7 and finish 2nd in the division in 2008 only to get trounced in the wild card round. Although making the WC round alone in 2008 in a division with Belichick and Saban would be quite the accomplishment. :rolleyes:

If Mangini is seduced by Woody Johnsons misguided obsession about how to do things the Patriots way he could very well end up with one of those character building Cleveland experiences on his resume. And if he gets another shot after that he may be able to fulfill some other teams obsession down the road to do things the Patriots way. Hell, by then maybe he could even fulfill it for......the Patriots.

If Mangini is foolish enough to be seduced into this job against his mentors advice it will speak volumes about his suitability to have even been considered the heir apparent here. BB and the Krafts are testing not only his loyalty but his career IQ.

Well said MoLr. I think that is key. IF he decides to take the job, our D may take a hit. But I just don't see him being ready for a HC job, especially with an organization in such disarray where he may not have the control he needs.

Our D took a hit when Romeo left. Some of it was personnel, some of it was injuries and some of it was coaching. Between weeks 1 and 12 (Kansas City) things were ugly in Patriot nation.

well
 

I don't think that BB would try and talk him out of the job. I think he would say something like "this is your decision, but here's the way i would look at it and what i would do"

If mangini takes the jets job, then we can expect the bills to hire a BB diciple so that it will be an all BB division!

......and I am hot for teacher, what's the point?

This is a horrible article, there are no sources named and almost no facts!

I remember hearing an interview with Charlie Weis sometime this year and he said that he had the full backing of BB when he took the ND job. BB's only advice was to make sure he was satisfied with the situation. Last year, Oakland wanted Mangini and for some reason he signed a new deal here with the Patriots. I am sure BB was not holding him back or twisting his arm to stay here. BB has shown on several occasions that he does not harbor ill will about anything. He did not try to talk Romeo out of Cleveland even though he would have had the amunition.

IMO, Mangini stays!

There are only two people on earth who know what Belichick is advising Mangini and what Mangini is thinking about that advise.

I don't think either of those two people spent this week discussing it with newspaper reporters.

Putting two and two together in the article, it sounds like Heimerdinger was the "current assistant coach" who passed along "Belichick's advice" and "Mangini's thinking" to the NY Post.