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Eric Mangini fired by New York Jets: Lose the locker room, lose your job
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Eric Mangini fired after going 23-25 in three seasons with Jets
The New York Jets have announced their plans to go into 2009 with a completely new direction.
After being given the keys to the family’s expensive car, Eric Mangini returned it with enough damages to lose his driving privileges for a very long time.
In three seasons, Eric Mangini compiled a 23-25 record with the New York Jets, appearing—at times—to have earned his Mangenius moniker.
But after the Jets went out and acquired the personnel to make this team a contender, Mangini proved to be in well over his head as the coach.
Always looking to be a Bill Belichick clone in New York, Mangini failed to develop an identity of his own in New York.
This rings true from his personality in front of the cameras to the way the team played on the field.
The New York Jets looked like a team without a plan, because they never played to who they really were.
After the Jets’ loss to the Miami Dolphins, a Jets player spoke with the New Jersey Star-Ledger under the condition of anonymity.
“We’re out there busting our butts and (Favre) is turning the ball over. You can’t win like that.
“We never got any rhythm on offense. Instead of us pounding the ball with TJ (Thomas Jones), we’re doing all of this other stuff. It’s not just me, a lot of guys weren’t happy with the play-calling. They (the coaches) were always catering to Favre instead of doing what we were built to do, which is run the ball.”
It’s a far cry from the endorsement Mangini received from GM Mike Tannenbaum in March, who stated Mangini would “absolutely” return in 2009.
The circumstances changed since then. After a 4-12 season, any kind of winning record would have been a success.
Unfortunately for Mangini, losing games to teams who should’ve been dispatched of on the road to the playoffs cost him his job.
During the press conference with owner Woody Johnson and Tannenbaum, both men dodged questions regarding their reasons for firing Mangini. Everything fans and analysts speculated upon for weeks rings true, but it would've been nice to receive some kind of confirmation.
Instead, the people responsible for firing Mangini chose to shower him with compliments as they gracefully showed him the door.
Now the New York Jets will have to undertake the daunting task of replacing him and changing the culture of the New York Jets.
Fans are still fearful. There is one coach on everyone’s wish list, but no one knows how likely it will be to get Bill Cowher on the team.
One thing is certain—the New York Jets need a real head coach.
The time for experimenting with other team’s specialists and coordinators has come to a close. The Jets need a head coach that knows how to control an entire team, and is a proven commodity in the NFL.
Brett Favre will likely retire—again.
And so begins the era of a new New York Jets regime.
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