This is a long article and the other thread is getting pretty long...
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12493344/qa-with-judge-mangini-talks-jets-browns-belichickBEREA, Ohio -- There is no head coach this season more vilified, more condemned and more ridiculed than Cleveland's Eric Mangini -- with Rolling Stone, of all people, calling his first-year tenure "a sort of Hurricane Andrew of football mismanagement."
That sounds pretty awful, only I'm not sure what it means. So I flew to Cleveland to find out. Not only did I meet with Mangini, I spent an afternoon with him. And what I discovered is that virtually everything I read, heard and believed about the guy does not correspond with the man I met.
Eric Mangini plans on turning things around in Cleveland. (US Presswire)
He was cooperative. He was engaging. He was candid. He was thoughtful, secure and downright interesting. In short, he was not the Bill Belichick clone he has been made out to be, though I wondered when seeing a Darth Vader mask resting on a shelf behind the door to his second-floor office.
It turns out it belongs to Mangini's kids, who are hooked on Star Wars and dressed up as characters from the movie for Halloween. I know because I asked, but to learn about Mangini's children all you have to do is look around the room. There are photographs of his family everywhere.
The Evil Empire this is not, but you would never know it reading reviews of Mangini's first season. Granted, he has only one win. But so does Jim Schwartz in Detroit. And Raheem Morris in Tampa Bay. And Steve Spagnuolo in St. Louis. And Todd Haley in Kansas City. Yet it is Mangini who is sliced, diced and spliced by an audience that demands answers from a coach it does not trust and does not like.
I demanded answers, too, only I got them -- lots of them. And here they are.
Q: What future is there for Brady Quinn and does he have a future in Cleveland?
Mangini: What I told Brady when he first got the job and, later, when I told him I was going to start D.A. [Derek Anderson], is that the important thing in my mind was all the progress he made since he had gotten here, all the work he had put in and all the things that he had done he couldn't stop because that was important for him to continue to develop. And even though I was changing [to Anderson] at that point things change quickly all the time.
I saw that with Tom Brady. Tom wasn't Tom when he first got in, but he worked like crazy, and it was every day with him. And he got better and better. What I said to Brady [Quinn] was, "Don't stop the approach; the approach isn't flawed at all. You didn't have the results you wanted initially, but that doesn't mean that can't change; that doesn't mean the opportunity couldn't present itself sooner rather than later." He's got a great work ethic, and I think he's making great progress."
Q: So he might have a future here?
Mangini: Yeah, the things that he's done here I've really liked. And I don't see why he can't keep improving.
Q: There was a suggestion that he was nailed to the bench because of his contract and an escalator clause that rewards him the more he plays. Any truth to that?
Mangini: No, absolutely not. With all the different contracts ... I don't know what the incentives are. But that wouldn't make my decision [even if I did]. In New York, being involved with draft picks, and here being involved with draft picks, my philosophy is if you're right you're right. But if you're not right you can't compound a decision by playing a guy who doesn't give the team the best chance to win because the players see that, and everybody knows.
It's not right. It should be a meritocracy. I tell that to the rookies who come in here with the drafted, undrafted or trial guys: "It doesn't matter how you got here; it matters what you do now. My job is to play the best players that give us the best chance to win, regardless of what your contract is, regardless of where you were drafted. Because that doesn't matter. Those were decisions that were made before. The decisions that count are the ones you're trying to make to help you that week."
Q: Last week Washington owner Daniel Snyder said he was "disappointed" and "embarrassed" by his team's performance. Do you share similar sentiments about this team?
Mangini: I'm not happy with the production that we've had, and I don't think anybody is. But I am happy with the way these guys have worked. Going through the experience in New England where the team was 8-8 [in 1999] and ended up 5-11 [in 2000, Belichick's first season there]; then where the start of the next year we were 1-2 and things didn't look good ... Anyway, we worked the same way, and people make good decisions. Then we beat San Diego [in 2001], and it was like the whole tide turned. And that wasn't a function of that game. It was a function of all the work that went in leading up to that game. People understood how to play as a team; what it meant to study, to work, to be selfless, to be part of something bigger and not to worry about who got credit. And when it hit, it hit big and it's continued to hit over time.
Mangini coached under Bill Belichick for nine seasons. (US Presswire)
I like to think I was part of an organization that was built to last, but it doeÉn't happen overnight. And it doesn't take one decision or one person. It takes a ton of them. Our whole philosophy is based on things that I learned here [in Cleveland] as a ballboy and a young guy, and in New England as a young position coach. Here, we [the Browns] had gone to the playoffs and paid Andre Rison a $5 million signing bonus, which at that time was astronomical. I picked up Andre at the airport, and he made Bill sit and the owner sit and the media sit for an hour while in a limousine that I was in. And that was the start of it.
The first game he had two penalties and wasn't very productive. But when you give a guy like that all that money you're assigning what you believe in organizationally: That it's OK because we will pay you. Basically, what you're saying is that those traits ... that's what we endorse organizationally. And when we struck adversity that year things fell apart.
But when we went to New England we committed to guys with character, and it was totally different. It was like truth in sports. I believe in smart, tough, hard-working, competitive guys -- guys who are selfless and guys whom football is important to. Those are our core characteristics. You can ask any player on the team what it is. It's in the draft room. It's in the free-agency room. And it frustrates the personnel guys because they say, hey, we have this great guy who can run this 40, and we'll say, "What's he like? What's he like in the locker room? What's he like in the classroom? What's he like in practice?" Because I really believe one guy affects five. You get a bunch of good people organizationally, committed to the same vision and working the same way ... and it doesn't waver ... great things happen.
Q: But great things haven't happened to this team. Did the Browns have to take two steps back to take one step forward?
Mangini: I think any time you go through a transition it's really hard. Everyone has to get used to your approach. You have to get used to the players you have. You can talk about communication, but that's developed. There is a trust that's developed. When I got let go in New York I wanted to address the team, and I told them, "Look, guys, there are times where you thought I was the biggest [jerk] in the world, and you probably thought I was crazy. But my job ... and what I committed to doing ... is making you the best players and us the best team. And that's not always easy. You're not always going to agree with the decisions I make. But they're all made for one reason: To help us win and to make sure you achieve your potential and we achieve our potential. There is another coach coming in, and I've been on the other side of the table, where I heard that things didn't work out and we're going in a different direction. I was told that today, and that's part of the business. But whoever comes in here you're a good group of players who worked hard. So embrace that guy. Don't let all that hard work go to waste because you're trying to figure out who the new guy is."
Q: The problem with a long-term plan is that you're on the clock, and time is a luxury you may not have. Having an owner who understands that is crucial.
Mangini: It is crucial, and you have to share the same vision because there are hard decisions that are made and there are criticisms that are made. And you have to believe in what you're doing and weather the storm. If you're always going to respond to public opinion and not do what you believe what you should do organizationally because of a negative article or how it's perceived, then you don't believe in anything and everything is diluted.
When I got to Cleveland I started my first meeting with the same message I left the last team with. I said, "This is who I am. I have three kids. This is my wife. I like Tupac better than I like Biggie. I like these TV shows. And this is my approach as a coach, and this is what I believe in. And you can come into my office at any point, and that's not a corporate slogan or a line I'm telling you to get it off my check list. It's true."
I'll tell you what Rodney Harrison told me. He said, "Tell players the truth. They may not like it, but they will respect you for it." You come up here, and I'll tell you the truth. And at least you have a chance to do something about it. You may not want to hear it, but you can do something about it. It's your choice. And I believe in that.
In New York, a sitdown with receiver Laveranues Coles produced a great relationship. (US Presswire)
It happened with Laveranues Coles. He hated me -- I promise you, as much as any player has hated anybody. And I didn't understand him, either. So I called him up on a Saturday night and I said, "L.C., I want to meet with you tomorrow afternoon at 1 o'clock." He shows up at 1 with a suit. And we sit across a conference table, and I said, "Look, I'm going to tell you all the things I like about you, and all the things I don't like about you. And you're going to tell me all the things you don't like about me. And maybe there's something you do like about me. But we're not leaving this table until we understand each other." And we sat for three hours and talked about everything. After that, we had a great relationship. He became one of my guys, and he still text-messages me.
I did the same thing with Eric Barton. When Braylon [Edwards] left, I said, "Look, this is a great start for you. Don't let anything get in the way of what you really want. It's a totally new start. You may get to a point sometimes where you need to hear the truth or need perspective. Call me up. When I met you the first time and told you I want you to be the best player and person you can be that doesn't change because I'm not your coach anymore. You call me, and we can talk. I wish you the best. So go do the things you want to do there. It didn't work out here, but that doesn't mean it can't work out there."
Q: Since you brought it up, why was it in the Browns' best interest to get him out of here? Was there a moment where you said enough is enough?
Mangini: I think Braylon was at the point where he needed a fresh start, and organizationally we needed to change directions, too. And that was going to be the best thing for both sides.
Q: What or where has been the biggest source of disappointment?
Mangini: The hardest thing for me is that a lot of times when there is criticism -- and I respect everyone's right to say a decision is poor -- but when it becomes personal criticism by people I've never met before, that is different. You like to have the opportunity to explain what you believe in and why you make decisions. That doesn't mean you expect the person to agree with what you say or that you expect a different kind of grade scale. But the personal attacks ... that's a little more disappointing, especially from someone I haven't met or dealt with because it just doesn't seem as objective and balanced.
Q: Has that criticism or this streak of futility affected the way you go about your job?
Mangini: No, because I really do believe in the things we're doing. I do believe in good people. And after experiencing what I experienced in New England and in New York with Bill Parcells and their commitment to a certain type of player, I know it works. I've been there. I've seen it. And I know it's hard. And I know you're going to take hits and that it's a process. I really have a conviction about that, so that when those things do happen I'm comfortable with it because I've been through it.
I look back at some of the articles from 2000 in New England, and they were pretty brutal. There are a lot of things said then (he pauses) ... well, history has sort of been rewritten in the recent past. But that's the way it is when you're losing. Not much looks very good.
Q: Have you pulled any of those articles out recently?
Mangini: Yeah, recently, actually. Very recently. (He goes to his desk and pulls out a binder of articles from that season, with sentences highlighted). Look at this one. (He starts reading) "Not much worth saving here ... Next test, please ... A mess ... Autopsy on the season, a pretty good choice of words."
I remember the Cleveland game where we came here, and that was brutal. They were an expansion team, and we came here and lost. (He starts reading again) "Officially plunged to the nadir. ... Bill Belichick is in charge of bringing respectability back to football in New England, but right now fans would settle for a little dignity, which is in short supply on bloody Sunday."
Thinking back to it, I remember when I drove up with Bill to New England. I was in my hotel that first night. I was listening to a talk show, and the three guys on the show were just killing the decision [to hire Belichick]. And I was thinking, "We haven't even been here five hours, and we're getting killed." I think back to that now, and say, "OK, we've been through this experience before. But I know what we're doing." And so does Brad Seely, and Brian Daboll and Rob Ryan. You just have to keep digging.
Q: At the risk of going where you don't want to go, do you and Bill have a relationship today?
Mangini (right) shakes hands with Bill Belichick after the Jets dropped a 19-10 decision to the Pats in September 2008. (Getty Images)
Mangini: We haven't talked in a long time, but I appreciate the things he taught me and the opportunities he gave me. [My oldest son] Luke's middle name is William because he was born right when I got the job in New York. When we were leaving [New England] Bill had done so much that [our son] became Luke William after Bill. Jake (Mangini's middle son) has Harrison as a middle name, after Rodney Harrison because Rodney at the AFC Championship Game said, "I'd like to thank the Lord, Jesus Christ, and Eric Mangini." My wife saw that, and I said we should name our son Rodney. She said she really liked the name Harrison, so he became Jake Harrison. So we stayed with football middle names, and with Zack (his youngest) when I was recruiting Brett [Favre], I said, "Look we're about to have a baby, and every baby we've had the middle name is after someone who's been important in this football career and our lives. I'm going to commit right now to giving him the middle name of Brett because I know you're going to be important in my career," which he was. And the strangest thing is that Zack was born on Brett's birthday. We did that months and months ahead of time, and he was early. So we have Jake Harrison, Luke William and Zack Brett.
Q: I've seen some teams that have trouble scoring, but nothing like this ... and I mean dating back to last year. What's going on?
Mangini: It's been frustrating, and what's frustrating is the amount of self-inflicted wounds. Now where we've been great is penalties. We're number one in the NFL in penalties, but we hired Dick McKenzie, who once was the head of officials. He does our challenges at the games, but he coaches our officials every day. So we have a coach for our officials who officiate practice, and they've been great.
We track every penalty every day, and we went from 32nd in the NFL last year to first this year. And that's a sign of discipline. That's a sign of growth.
When I look at some of the scoring plays we have ... like last week [against Chicago], there's a second down, and we fumble the snap. We actually have the play blocked up pretty well, and on third down D.A. goes to the fade instead of to the snag because the first time we ran the play the snag wasn't open. So instead of going through his progression he goes away from it, and now the snag is open and the fade is covered. Those types of things are examples of where it's like, "Look, just stay with what we talked about. We can't have these fumbles. We can't have these turnovers."
Last week we hit Mohamed [Massaquoi] on the 12- or 14-yard line, and he fumbles. We hit Steve Heiden on third-and-5, he gets the first down and he fumbles. It kills you.
Q: One writer said the worst thing that happened to you was getting hired immediately after you were fired in New York; that it didn't give you time to analyze what you did wrong in New York. Any truth to that?
Mangini: I'm proud of what we did in New York. I played the Jets for a lot of years, and we were built to be able to stand up to the teams in the division. We went to the playoffs the first year, had a setback the second and were 8-3 at one point in the third year before Brett got hurt.
Mangini coached the Jets to the playoffs in his first season. (US Presswire)
I'm making no excuses for us not finishing stronger than we did, but I know that organization is stronger. We transitioned to a new building. We made a lot of changes in a lot of different areas, and I'm proud of the people we brought in. The draft picks are all guys with character. Look at them: D'Brickashaw Ferguson? He'll go to the Pro Bowl. Nick Mangold? He's been to the Pro Bowl. [Darrelle] Revis has been to the Pro Bowl. [David] Harris will go to the Pro Bowl. Leon Washington has been to the Pro Bowl. We have rookie free agents who are making meaningful contributions. Brad Smith is a good player in his own right in the role he has. We brought in Alan Faneca, who is high character. There was a lot of heat there, with people saying we couldn't get good free agents, but we got Faneca and we got [Calvin] Pace and Damien Woody. We traded for Thomas Jones, who led the AFC in rushing. We had 47 sacks last year. We just traded for Jason Trusnik, who was a rookie free agent out of Ohio Northern, and this past week he led us in tackles, had a sack and a quarterback pressure and a batted ball. This is a kid we developed, and we taught our rookies how to be pros. We spent a lot of time with those guys, and we had programs in place.
It was a great experience. You make a lot of mistakes, but one of the things that was a benefit of being a first-time head coach was that you didn't see a lot of the problems because you didn't know what a lot of the problems looked like. But when you come to a new place and you know what they look like ... sometimes it's like, wow, we have a lot of things to get straightened out. Where in New York you didn't even know they existed.
Q: I tell you what intrigues me. You are easy to talk to, you have a range of interests and you are candid with your answers. Yet there is a perception of you as an ogre, a control freak, someone who is hard-headed and difficult to work with. In fact, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of you now is that bus trip in May to Hartford. I assume you don't agree with those characterizations of you. If that's accurate, how do you correct them?
Mangini: That's a great, great question. I feel really good about the person I am. And I feel that the things we do are never malicious; they're never done for the sake of doing them or showing that I'm in power or making someone feel bad about himself. The things we do are to empower people. We want them to be disciplined because it's the right thing to do. We want them to study because it's the right thing to do, and it makes them a better player.
The bus trip to Hartford was one of those things that, in retrospect, I shouldn't have done, but here was my feeling: This was an event that is done for kids that have nothing, absolutely nothing. They never see pro football players. Hartford has the third-highest infant mortality rate. It has one of the highest homicide rates in the country. I was talking to a little boy one time who showed up late, and I said, "Why are you late?" And he said, "I had to go to a funeral. My friend just got shot in the face." For a day those kids get to interact with positive male role models who are there to help teach them.
[Boxing trainer and analyst] Teddy Atlas always used to tell me that caring is like any other muscle. You have to exercise it to get strong. And I want the rookies to care about people. I want rookies to appreciate what they have; to remember that a lot of people helped them to get where they are. And they didn't do it because there was anything in it for them; they did it because it was the right thing.
Q: I think the intention was right with the bus trip, but the execution -- with guys on a bus for 10 hours -- is another matter.
Mangini: It wasn't mandatory, but the perception is that it was. I walked down there [the locker room] and said, "You guys don't have to go." That wasn't what it was all about. I could have flown the guys there, but all that money goes into computers for kids from inner-city schools going to college. It goes into mini-grants for teachers. Nobody makes money off the camp. Every single person volunteers.
Bill Belichick has worked it. Marvin Lewis has worked it. Rex Ryan has worked it. Dustin Keller, our first-round draft pick last year [with the Jets], drove up from New York this year because it was so fulfilling for him. He came on his own, and something like 20 guys from the Jets came, including their coaching staff.
What hurt me most about that event isn't the publicity. It hurt me because it took away from something that is named after my father and uncle -- who both were committed to community service -- and it's about a group of kids who have absolutely nothing. Nobody makes any money, and there are over 100 volunteers -- police officers, teachers, doctors, trainers. The spirit is what it should be. Yet the event now is tainted, and that's the most disappointing thing.
I can take all the criticism in the world, and we didn't need our players there. There were plenty of other pro players there and coaches there. That's probably the most disappointing thing to me about the whole day.
Q: You lost George Kokinis as your general manager. Will you add another or will you assume GM responsibilities?
Mangini: The personnel decisions will be collaborative. We have a good system in place on the pro side. On the college side we have a lot of experience between the coaches that are here -- guys like Brad Seely, who's been in the league forever -- along with the scouts. I know [owner] Randy [Lerner] is researching it, but to me anyone that comes in here to help us win, help make good decisions and share in the same vision, I'm all for.
Q: When does that happen?
Mangini: I think sooner rather than later.
Q: During this season?
Mangini: I think that's a real possibility.
Q: Will you be involved in the decision?
Mangini: I'll definitely talk to Randy about it. I'll be a part of that whole process because it affects everything we do. I don't care what power anybody has. It doesn't matter. And I know that probably seems counter-intuitive. But if we can get good players and good people and build the organization ... bring in anybody. The more smart people we have the better.
Q: Who makes that decision?
Mangini: It's ultimately Randy's decision, but I will play a part in that. I will help in any way I can. Ideally, it's someone who understands exactly what we're trying to do here. And I believe that will be the case.
Q: I know you've been reluctant to discuss what happened to Kokinis, and your owner is not one who is easily quoted. But don't you think the Browns fans here and across the country deserve an explanation from someone about what happened? And without a GM and with an owner who is all but reclusive, who is that someone?
Mangini: Sometimes things happen that have to be resolved. I can tell you in this case this was never the intent. It was never something anyone wanted to do. But sometimes things don't work out for a variety of reasons, some that you can talk about and some that you cannot. I know it's hard, and I know it's frustrating and I'm not trying to deny that it isn't or convince anybody that it isn't. But I'm also trying to appreciate all the sides involved and get to the best possible conclusion and move forward.
Q: Tell me, then, if I'm a season-ticket holder here, given what happened with your GM and what is happening on the field this year, why should I believe there is hope for this team now or in the future?
Mangini: Being here in the past and getting to know the people of Cleveland, I feel like they deserve a team filled with men who will make them proud on Sundays and every other day of the week. That's what I said in my press conferences. I want my kids to cheer for this team, not just because we're winning on Sunday but because of all the other stuff we're doing throughout the week. We're committed to finding those men. We're committed to building an organization that they can support, not just in Year One but in Year 10. And that doesn't happen instantly and it's not easy. It's like anything else in life that's worth having. You have to work at it. This is a city that's built by and with hard working people who are good people.
Q: That's fine, except this is a team that scored nine points the last two games. How do you convince people that is progress?
Mangini: Unfortunately, there is the very obvious progress, which is what is happening on the field. And that is what we're all committed to. But there's other progress, too, and I don't think a situation like penalties is something that's not substantial, even though it's not sexy. It shows that discipline has changed. When you look at the kids that we've brought in and the people that we've brought in, anyone who is exposed to them will know what we're committed to; anybody who looks into their backgrounds will know what we're committed to. When you combine that with the work ethic that this group has, things will change.
Q: You can collect the best people in the world in a locker room, but it doesn't matter if you don't win.
Mangini not only coached Brett Favre with the Jets, but he named his youngest son's middle name after the QB. (Getty Images)
Mangini: I guess what I believe in and what I've seen is that you can collect both -- talented players who are really good people. Tedy Bruschi. Rodney Harrison. Ted Johnson. Troy Brown. Go right on down the list. Darrelle Revis. David Harris. D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Nick Mangold. Alex Mack. Mohamed Massaquoi. Those are good players, but they're also good people. Fans are going to enjoy cheering for them.
Q: How soon before the Browns become a competitive factor again?
Mangini: I really think at different points this season we've been competitive. I don't want to make excuses for what happened in Green Bay, but it wasn't the easiest week in the world. We had 14 guys miss practice with the swine flu. We had our starting corner get into a car accident where he flipped the car. There were a lot of things swirling around [running back] James Davis, and those were substantial. But I told the players this: "We only have one opportunity to play. Regardless of what happened leading up to it we got to maximize that opportunity. And that's it. There are no excuses." [Against Chicago] I thought we did a lot of good things defensively. We stopped them on fourth down. We sacked the quarterback four times. We hit him a bunch of times. And we come out on the first drive of the second half, stopped them, they punted, we got good field position and we scored. Now it's a 10-point game. Then we drive down the field again and fumble. It's kind of like the Denver game. It was 13-6 going into the fourth quarter, and we give up two big plays. Now it looks like an absolute runaway game. The Minnesota game we're leading at halftime and holding on for a long time defensively, but when you give Adrian Peterson that many chances ...
The thing I see on tape is that these aren't mistakes you can't correct; they are correctable. Now it's something like 66 points net difference in turnovers. You can't overcome that. But you can protect the football better. And you can get the football out better. You can create more turnovers.
Q: What is the prognosis for the second half?
Mangini: I want to see improvement in the areas that we've targeted. And I saw that in the three games leading up to Green Bay and, to some degree, the Chicago game, especially defensively. There's a way I want to play games: intensity, finish, emotion. That's the way we have to play football. That's the starting point on Sunday. Do everything leading up to Sunday, play that way and execute the plan.
In the Cincinnati game there are seven seconds left in the fifth quarter, and we lose. That's hard. Then we beat Buffalo. There are pockets of what we're seeing, but we have to have complimentary football through four quarters. That's what our task is. Figure out how to get there as coaches and players, and it will happen.
Q: I must ask about the "Man-genius" nickname. Has that become something of an albatross around your neck?
Mangini: Considering all the other nicknames that have come up ... I put them all in the same category. It's like anything else: One year you're a genius; the next you can't do anything right.
Q: So tell me why you will do something right for Cleveland; why you're the right man for this franchise, and why Browns fans should trust that in the end everything will work out OK.
Mangini: The real benefit I have is being here in the past, sharing those experiences, appreciating the history of this organization, appreciating the spirit of this organization. I look at some of the things that it was built on, some of the original premises Paul Brown had -- and I'm not comparing myself to Paul Brown -- but I believe in a lot of the same things. The things he talked about were true then and true now.
That's what we're committed to. There is a great work ethic here and a commitment to the right type of guys here. When you do that and you get those guys and push forward, good things will happen.
Q: But the public perception of you and this team is so sour that it may be difficult for you to attract players and keep the good ones unless that image changes. So it's imperative to change it, wouldn't you agree?
Mangini: I had that same problem at one point in New York, and we had a lot of free agents go there. When I have a chance to sit down with someone and really share what we're about -- when they get to meet the people in this building and some of the players we've brought in and get to talk to some people I've coached and whose lives I've been a part of -- there's a big difference as to what's out there publicly and what the truth is. We're going to show them what the truth is, and if they're committed to the same things they're going to want to come here.
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