Mangini to Stay as a Patriots Assistant
Patriots Insider Staff
Assistant coaches can make or break a team, as many a head coach can attest
to. Like normal humans, the head coach can only handle a certain level of hands-on
involvement before they become overwhelmed. It is their assistants who help
them when times are tough, and can jump into the fire to save a situation no
head coach could resolve.
Call it the Peter principle, call it something else, the simple fact is that
extending oneself too far, without having competent assistants, has claimed
many a career of a promising and talented head coach.
Looking back over the years, one can see that the New England Patriots have
benefited from having not only a decent assembly of players, but also a talented
and complimentary group of assistant coaches spreading Belichick's philosophy
and coaching techniques.
Certainly the focus of the team comes from one source, and that is coach Belichick,
but one would be remiss to think all of the credit belongs to one man. Belichick
knows that the best way to communicate his message is to have the people closest
to him, his coaching staff, spread the word for him. No one person can be everything
to all people, and Belichick knows this.
That is one of the many reasons it is imperative for the Patriots to retain
assistant coach Eric Mangini. What Mangini
lacks in coaching pedigree and longevity he makes up for in his ability to buy
into the "system." And spread Belichick's philosophy. It's his belief
in doing things the Patriot way, and his sense of loyalty that has put him in
the position of being one of a number of rising coaching assistants in the NFL.
Mangini, you see, is no ordinary assistant. He's a person who's from all outside
perspectives is a hardworking, loyal and talented NFL coach.
Mangini's career, as short as it's been, began at Wesleyan University, in Middletown
Connecticut… Yes, that tiny state on the east coast not well known for
being a football powerhouse, yet churning out some of the best talent the NFL
has seen. From Steve Young, former Greenwich high school standout and QB for
the San Francisco 49ers, to Bill
Romanowski, LB for the Raiders, to names like Dave
Campo, a Central Connecticut alum and head coach for the Dallas
Cowboys, to Chris Palmer, another NFL head coach from Southern Connecticut
and former head coach of the Cleveland Browns,
to Kevin Gilbride, SCSU coach and former San Diego Charger head coach and NFL
assistant, to Tebucky Jones, a New Britain
HS all-star, and former New England Patriot DB to even another Connecticut alum…
Joe Andruzzi, SCSU
alum and starting guard for the Patriots.
Connecticut certainly has spawned some notable careers in the NFL, and Mangini's
would be another one to add to the list. Even if it is from a lesser known University
such as Wesleyan.
Wesleyan is a private school that sports a proud heritage of sports and academics,
yet it was it's little known division III football program that gave rise to
the budding career of one Eric Mangini.
So why is all the attention given to Mangini?
To put it bluntly, Belichick has lost the most valuable assets he's had in
his coaching tenure, assistants Romeo Crennel
to the Cleveland Browns and Charlie Weis to
the University of Notre Dame. While these
promotions were long overdue for those assistants, it leaves the Patriots with
significant voids in their coaching staff. At least one of those voids has been
filled from within.
Mangini is expected to be designated the next coordinator on the defensive
side of the ball, in Crennel's absence. While Belichick has other options at
this juncture, it's hard not to assume he has full faith and confidence in the
kid he gave a job to days past as an intern in Cleveland.
According to reports on the web, Belichick has told the media that Mangini
will be the next coach of the Patriots defensive unit. This means Mangini has
turned down offers from the Raiders in 2004, the Dolphins in 2005 and the Cleveland
Browns, all for more lucrative contracts than what's being reported to be a
$500,000 - 600,000 offer from the Kraft family to remain in New England.
Loyalty certainly has it's benefits. We'll see how well Mangini can fill the
shoes of the veteran Romeo Crennel. From all early indications, Mangini is the
right guy for the job.
Stay tuned Patriots fans. With Belichick and a new crew, 2005 is going to be
an interesting year.