Jets Fire Mangini

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum wanted to focus on the positive.

Even as they relieved Jets coach Eric Mangini of his duties.

Perhaps not wanting to kick a man while he was down -- which was admirable in some respects -- it still made for an odd press conference Monday morning as the Jets owner and his general manager announced the firing of Mangini after three seasons, yet were vague on the specific reasons for letting go a coach who led the team to winning records in two of his three seasons.

Then again, the facts -- particularly how this season ended -- might have spoken for themselves

Johnson said moments after Sunday's loss to the Dolphins -- the Jets' fourth loss in five games that gave them a final record of 9-7 after an 8-3 start -- that he didn't want to make a decision on Mangini in the "heat" of the moment. But he said Monday morning he had reached a resolution "sometime" Sunday night, at the end of what had been a season-long process.

"This is about the most difficult thing you can do in being a franchise owner and that is making a change in position of perhaps the most important person in the building and that's head coach," Johnson said. "Eric's been our coach for three years, he's done some amazing things. Nobody's worked harder. He knows his X's and he knows his O's, he's a good teacher. But Mike and I felt in our judgment that it was time now to make a change."

Mangini went 23-26 in three seasons, which included a wild card playoff loss to the Patriots in his first season in which the Jets were one of the surprise teams in the league, going 10-6. Beset with injuries and with a porous offensive line, the Jets slipped to 4-12 last season. Johnson and Tannenbaum went about remaking the roster last offseason, doling out $140 million in contracts for free agents and extensions and even brining in Brett Favre during training camp in a trade with Green Bay. That move, a public relations smash in the form of media attention and jersey sales, seemed to be paying dividends on the field as the Jets started this season 8-3. But they slumped horribly -- as did Favre -- in their final five games this season with Favre throwing nine interceptions and just two TDs in that stretch.

"It's not a decision we reached yesterday or 10 minutes ago," Johnson said. "This is a decision that was basically running through the season. We don't take this decision lightly. We respect Eric for what he's done, but we want to build on the successful foundation that he's laid."

Johnson used the word "judgment" several times, but didn't specify particular areas he thought Mangini failed in.

"Judgment is a combination of everything," Johnson said.

Johnson said the decision on Mangini's replacement would be "thorough," and would begin today. Tannenbaum said they would not "rule anybody in or anybody out," in the search, and a league source expects the organization to at least reach out to former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. Whomever the Jets tab, it will mark the fourth coach Johnson has hired since taking over the team in 2000. That list reads Al Groh, Herm Edwards and Mangini.

"That's what we're striving for," Johnson said of looking for continuity. "We're not floundering. We're being decisive."

As for Favre, who talked about shoulder trouble last week and was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his right shoulder Monday, Johnson and Tannenbaum were both resolute in saying they wanted the 39-year old quarterback, who led the league with 22 INTs this season [he also had 22 TDs], to return in 2009.

"I think Brett has added a lot," Johnson said.

Said Tannenbaum: "We as an organization want Brett back."

But if the next coach is equally resolute that he wants to start his Jets career with a different quarterback?

Neither Tannenbaum nor Johnson said they would deal in hypotheticals.

Tannenbaum said making yesterday's announcement more difficult is the history -- which dates back more than a decade -- and close friendship he shares with Mangini. Tannenbaum and Johnson met with Mangini early Monday morning at the facility to inform him of their decision.

"It was hard, it was really hard," Tannenbaum said. "I think very highly of him but at the end of the day we had to make the right decision and not the easy one."

The decisions don't get any easier from here.