Mangini, McDaniels have much to learn

This column started with the premise that Eric Mangini, the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, was the Grinch Who Stole Christmas when recently he asked his 19 rookies to serve as volunteer coaches at his high school football camp and then put them on a bus for the 10-hour ride from Ohio to Hartford, his hometown.

It never dawned on those players and their agents, who were anonymously complaining, that the thousands it would have cost Mangini to pay for airplane tickets would have been money better spent on the kids. Isn't that what volunteer work is all about? A little sacrifice?




With millions of Americans unemployed, some of these young men felt obligated to get onto the bus, fearful that Mangini might be less compassionate when cut time came around if they didn't volunteer. I guess that makes a little sense. But we all know that Mangini is like most coaches: they will employ the best player regardless of character. Mangini, already fired once for losing, knows he has to win to remain employed.

Still, this Mangini decision was viewed in some NFL circles as a coach over-reaching in the authority department. Some may file it under questionable common sense. Knowing Mangini, he probably never considered there would be any negative consequences when he asked his rookies to spend a couple days volunteering. Which brings me to today's NFL primer — "How to Mold the Next Great NFL Head Coach."

The landscape in this business is forever changing. Believe it or not, there are 11 new head coaches this season when compared to the start of the 2008 season. Granted, Tom Cable in Oakland and Mike Singletary in San Francisco were elevated to full-time capacity after replacing Lane Kiffin and Mike Nolan during last season, respectively. And everyone knew that then-assistants Jim Mora would be the boss in Seattle and Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis. Still, that leaves six new faces and one retread (Mangini) with the seven other teams. And, honestly, there are big question marks about all 11 coaches, although Mora did win briefly in Atlanta with Michael Vick.

There is no question that the league and its owners are going younger and cheaper in the coaching department. That makes sense if they hit on the next Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh's 37-year-old wunderkind and Super Bowl winner. But even Tomlin endured a serious learning curve in Year One (10-6, first-round playoff loss) and made clear adjustments in Year Two (12-4, Super Bowl champion).

Here's some kind advice for all the young coaches trying to be the NFL's next "genius" ...

It sure helps with a strong, worldly-in-football owner.