Newly appointed Jets head coach Eric Mangini ’94, is no stranger to tough decisions on the football field. As a head coach of a semi-professional football team in Melbourne, Australia during his semester abroad from Wesleyan, Mangini led his team to the championship game, where his brother, Kyle, was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. After yanking his brother from the game, Mangini’s squad pulled off the victory in the championship, reflecting the hard-nosed decisions that have led Mangini to an NFL head-coaching job over a decade later.
Soon after his graduation from Wesleyan where he set seasonal and career tackles records and was a regional academic All-American, Mangini came across an entry-level public relations intern position with the Cleveland Browns. This was only a small job, which included photocopying media guides and delivering pizzas. Soon after, Mangini had the first of many encounters with Bill Belichick ’75, as the two struck up a conversation where they realized they came from the same Wesleyan fraternity, Chi Psi. Soon after, Belichick took Mangini under his wing and took him to three different NFL franchises as an assistant coach.
As Mangini rose through the ranks as a young coach under Belichick and Romeo Crennel, a few teams, including the Oakland Raiders, tried to convince Mangini to take a position as defensive coordinator as recently as two years ago. Despite the offers, which included a substantial pay raise, Mangini decided to stay under Belichick and took over the defensive coordinator position for the New England Patriots last year.
For Belichick, the departure leaves his Patriots squad without one of the most talented young defensive minds in the NFL today.
“Eric worked his way from the most entry-level position to a position of great responsibility during several successful seasons,” Belichick said in a press statement. “The opportunity Eric has now earned is truly an example of good things happening to a good, hardworking person, and I wish him well.”
Like Belichick, most of the Patriots players were disappointed at losing Mangini, but no ill will remains after his departure to the Jets.
“It’s not awkward at all,” linebacker Willie McGinest said in a statement to the New York Daily News. “He understands football. He’s been in a lot of great systems. He’s been with Bill. He’s done his dirty work. He’s done his time and he’s doing a great job.”
Next season, Mangini will face off against Belichick’s Patriots two times, a task Mangini certainly does not take lightly.
“If you want to be the best you have to beat the best and if we can win this division, I think there’s going to be some really good competition,” Mangini said in a press conference.
Other NFL coaches have also expressed their admiration for Mangini, including Dallas Cowboys head coach and former Belichick mentor Bill Parcells.
“In my brief period of time in working with Eric, I saw a bright and determined young coach who I felt would have a solid future in the profession,” Parcells said in a statement to the press. “I think, more than anything, that his experience in working alongside Bill Belichick and the success they had in New England will serve him well as he becomes a head coach.”
While Mangini has certainly earned praise from coaches such as Parcells and Belichick, several have questioned his ability to succeed as a head coach at such a young age, as he turned 35 last week. Mangini, the youngest current NFL coach, addressed the issue at his press conference.
“Age has always been a question,” he said. “I’ve always been the young guy. I was the young guy on defensive staffs; I was the young guy on offensive staffs. The only time I was an old guy was when I was a ball boy. I’m excited about the opportunity. I’m excited about being here and I’m excited about being the head coach of the New York Jets.”
According to Wesleyan football head coach Frank Houser ’79, Mangini should have no trouble commanding respect from his players.
“Eric acted like he was 35 when he was 21; he was always very mature,” Houser said in an interview with WFAN radio. “Eric was a two-year captain, and his peers vote that on. We don’t have many guys that do that. You don’t have many junior captains. He was always a mature kid here and you knew he was going to be successful in what he did. I don’t think the age factor is going to be a major problem for him.”
Another challenge that faces Mangini is dealing with the New York media that arguably plagued former Jets head coaches Herm Edwards and Al Groh.
“[The media] is something that’s going to be new for him, obviously, he hasn’t done it in the past,” Hauser said. “But he’s a very personable guy and you’ll find that out pretty quickly he’s the kind of guy that everyone will like.”
But in the near future, Mangini’s toughest challenge is rebuilding a Jets squad that has several question marks, especially on offense. The status of quarterback Chad Pennington, who is coming off of shoulder surgery, and aging running back Curtis Martin, himself coming off of knee surgery, is shaky at best.
Yet , prior to Mangini’s selection, veteran Jets and former Patriots cornerback Ty Law sang Mangini’s praises in a statement to the Daily News.
“It would be an injustice if the Jets don’t hire Mangini,” Law said. “The other guys have coaching experience, but how many rings do they have? If you’ve got all the tools and you’ve been part of championship teams, I think that should trump all questions about age. Plus, you’ve got a chance to take a valuable person away from the top dog. I’m quite sure that Eric knows more about Bill Belichick than anybody.”
If his previous coaching experience in Australia is any indication, Jets fans may finally have the head coach capable of making the right calls.
“I know how passionate the Jets fans are,” Mangini said in a press conference. “I have been here with them and I have played against them, and I’m a lot happier being here with them.”