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Source: Mangini agrees to 4-year deal
The Cleveland Browns have agreed to hire former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini as their head coach.
Mangini, fired last week by the Jets, agreed to four-year deal, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Michael Smith.
Mangini will be introduced at a Thursday news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Mangini's contract has not been finalized.
Mangini is being represented by agent Ron Shapiro, who is Mangini's father-in-law.
The 37-year-old Mangini began his NFL career in Cleveland. He started out as a Browns ball boy in 1994 under then-coach Bill Belichick. and was later a public relations intern. He has never forgotten his football roots. When the Jets played the Browns in recent seasons, Mangini bought a catered lunch of Italian food for Cleveland reporters.
Mangini was dismissed after the Jets collapsed by losing four of their final five games. He went 23-25 and made the playoffs once in three seasons.
Mangini has ties to the Cleveland area. He is the brother-in-law of Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro.
Mangini will hire Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll, whose contract is expiring, as his offensive coordinator, league sources told Smith.
For the position of defensive coordinator, sources told Smith that Mangini will bring aboard Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, whose contract with Oakland also is up. Also that Mangini and former Browns coach Romeo Crennel, fired after the team went 4-12 this season, discussed the possibility of Crennel returning to work with Mangini but decided it best to both go in a different direction.
Mangini was one of four candidates interviewed by Browns owner Randy Lerner, but the only one with NFL head coaching experience -- a prerequisite for Lerner, who also spoke with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
Mangini was fired by the Jets one day after the club finished a disastrous stretch where they lost to Denver, San Francisco and Seattle -- three non-playoff teams -- in the final month behind 39-year-old quarterback Brett Favre's failing arm and questionable play calling by Mangini.
Lerner fired Crennel the same morning Mangini was let go but he was unaware Mangini, who will be 38 on Jan. 19, was available when he met with reporters. Lerner, who has also been interviewing general manager candidates, wasted no time in going after Mangini and interviewed him the following night in the New York area.
Lerner was enamored with Mangini's potential and believed he would bring discipline to the underachieving Browns. During his interview, Mangini identified Baltimore player personnel director George Kokinis as his preference as GM.
Kokinis is expected to interview with Lerner on Sunday.
After Mangini inherited a 4-12 team and led the Jets to 10 wins in his first season, New York's tabloids dubbed him "Mangenius." But by the end of his tenure in the NFL's largest market, he was being called moody, dour and controlling and he took the fall for the team's stunning collapse.
The Jets spent more than $140 million in offseason additions and traded for Favre, a move Mangini didn't favor but was forced to accept.
The Cleveland Browns have agreed to hire former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini as their head coach.
Mangini, fired last week by the Jets, agreed to four-year deal, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Michael Smith.
Mangini will be introduced at a Thursday news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Mangini's contract has not been finalized.
Mangini is being represented by agent Ron Shapiro, who is Mangini's father-in-law.
The 37-year-old Mangini began his NFL career in Cleveland. He started out as a Browns ball boy in 1994 under then-coach Bill Belichick. and was later a public relations intern. He has never forgotten his football roots. When the Jets played the Browns in recent seasons, Mangini bought a catered lunch of Italian food for Cleveland reporters.
Mangini was dismissed after the Jets collapsed by losing four of their final five games. He went 23-25 and made the playoffs once in three seasons.
Mangini has ties to the Cleveland area. He is the brother-in-law of Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro.
Mangini will hire Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll, whose contract is expiring, as his offensive coordinator, league sources told Smith.
For the position of defensive coordinator, sources told Smith that Mangini will bring aboard Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, whose contract with Oakland also is up. Also that Mangini and former Browns coach Romeo Crennel, fired after the team went 4-12 this season, discussed the possibility of Crennel returning to work with Mangini but decided it best to both go in a different direction.
Mangini was one of four candidates interviewed by Browns owner Randy Lerner, but the only one with NFL head coaching experience -- a prerequisite for Lerner, who also spoke with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
Mangini was fired by the Jets one day after the club finished a disastrous stretch where they lost to Denver, San Francisco and Seattle -- three non-playoff teams -- in the final month behind 39-year-old quarterback Brett Favre's failing arm and questionable play calling by Mangini.
Lerner fired Crennel the same morning Mangini was let go but he was unaware Mangini, who will be 38 on Jan. 19, was available when he met with reporters. Lerner, who has also been interviewing general manager candidates, wasted no time in going after Mangini and interviewed him the following night in the New York area.
Lerner was enamored with Mangini's potential and believed he would bring discipline to the underachieving Browns. During his interview, Mangini identified Baltimore player personnel director George Kokinis as his preference as GM.
Kokinis is expected to interview with Lerner on Sunday.
After Mangini inherited a 4-12 team and led the Jets to 10 wins in his first season, New York's tabloids dubbed him "Mangenius." But by the end of his tenure in the NFL's largest market, he was being called moody, dour and controlling and he took the fall for the team's stunning collapse.
The Jets spent more than $140 million in offseason additions and traded for Favre, a move Mangini didn't favor but was forced to accept.
So did the Browns interview any minorities?
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