WHAT NEXT FOR MANGINI?

So with Jets coach Eric Mangini out of a job, the question becomes who if anyone will give him another shot? The word on the street in the wake of the Spygate fiasco of 2007 was that few if any NFL teams would ever trust Mangini will family secrets given the perception/reality that Mangini blew the whistle on Patriots tactics from which Mangini’s career benefited -- and about which he remained silent during his time in New England. But, as we’ve seen many times, 31 teams can say no; only one team has to say yes. An NFL head-coaching position in 2009 is unlikely, unless Raiders owner Al Davis becomes intrigued by the possibility of hiring an objectively talented guy whom no one else wants. Possibly, Mangini could land somewhere as a defensive coordinator. In Houston, for example, coach Gary Kubiak reportedly will be dumping his entire defensive coaching staff. If Mangini is regarded as a guy who never would be trusted with the title of head coach by any other NFL team, then Kubiak wouldn’t have to worry about Mangini having designs on obtaining an in-house promotion in Houston if/when Kubiak is fired. Regardless, Mangini’s ultimately employability will hinge on his ability to explain his role in blowing the whistle on the Patriots. There’s a theory in some circles that Mangini merely mentioned the practice of videotaping defensive coaching signals to G.M. Mike Tannenbaum, and that Tannenbaum pressed the issue. If Mangini can get someone to believe that (or a similar excuse), then Mangini likely will continue to find work in the NFL.