Eric Mangini

Eric Mangini (born January 19, 1971) is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) and current NFL analyst for ESPN.

High school
Mangini was a linebacker at Bulkeley High School in Hartford, Connecticut.

College
Mangini played nose tackle at Division III Wesleyan University and holds the school's single-season (11.5) and career (36.5) sacks records. During the second semester of his junior and senior years, he coached the Kew Colts, a semi-professional football team in Melbourne, Australia, to two regional championships. Mangini joined the Chi Psi Fraternity that coaching mentor Bill Belichick, a Wesleyan alumnus, was part of two decades earlier.

Assistant coach
Mangini first caught the attention of Bill Belichick, under whom he would coach for nine seasons, as a 23-year-old ball boy with the Cleveland Browns. His work ethic impressed Belichick, and the head coach was instrumental in promoting Mangini to a public relations intern, and later, an offensive assistant.

After spending 1996 as an offensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, Mangini rejoined Belichick and spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the New York Jets. When Belichick was hired as the New England Patriots head coach in 2000, he brought along Mangini as his defensive backs coach. Mangini, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, turned down defensive coordinator positions with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns before accepting the position with New England in 2005.

New York Jets
Mangini, 35, became the youngest head coach in the NFL when he was hired by the Jets on January 17, 2006, to replace Herm Edwards. He beat internal candidates Donnie Henderson, Mike Heimerdinger and Mike Westhoff and external candidates Jim Haslett, Mike Tice, Tim Lewis and Joe Vitt for the job. He was quickly nicknamed "The Penguin" by receiver Laveranues Coles because of his waddle and fierce stare.

In his first season, Mangini led the Jets to a 10-6 record and a postseason berth with NFL Comeback Player of the Year quarterback Chad Pennington. New York, which finished the previous year 4-12, lost to New England in a wild-card playoff game.

New York went 4-12 in 2007, failing to make the playoffs. Early in the regular season, Mangini complained to league officials that Belichick's Patriots illegally filmed the Jets' defensive signals, causing the "Spygate" scandal.

In 2008, a late-season collapse—the Jets missed the playoffs despite an 8-3 start—led to Mangini's firing on December 29, 2008, one day after the season ended.

Cleveland Browns
Mangini was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns on January 7, 2009, signing a four-year deal. He is only the second of 12 Browns head coaches to have prior NFL head coaching experience, joining Nick Skorich. Mangini faced early criticism in his tenure with Cleveland, with Sports Illustrated columnist Joe Posnanski going so far to call Mangini's hiring by the Browns as the worst coaching hire from the past 25 years. Mangini had a 10-22 record as the head coach of the Browns. On January 7, 2010 it was announced that Mike Holmgren had decided to retain Mangini as head coach of the Browns for the 2010 season. On January 3, 2011 Mike Holmgren fired Mangini as the head coach after two consecutive 5-11 seasons.

Coaching tree
NFL head coaches under whom Eric Mangini has served:
 * Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore Ravens (1996)
 * Bill Parcells, New York Jets (1996–1999)
 * Bill Belichick, New England Patriots (2000–2005)

Assistant coaches under Eric Mangini who became NFL head coaches:
 * None

Personal life
Mangini and his wife Julie have three sons, Jake, Luke and Zack, whose middle names honor influential figures in his career. Jake Harrison is named after former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, Luke William is named after Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Zack Brett is named after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. Zack was born on Favre's 39th birthday, and Mangini had promised Favre that he would name his son after the quarterback if he signed with the Jets.

Cleveland Indians President Mark Shapiro is Mangini's brother-in-law and sports agent Ron Shapiro, who currently represents him, is his father-in-law.

Mangini had a cameo role in an episode of the mob drama The Sopranos.

On August 4, 2011, it was announced that Mangini would join ESPN as an NFL studio analyst on NFL Live, Sportscenter, ESPN First Take, and other programs.