Jets fire Eric Mangini

Dec 29, 2008 - 3:44 PM FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New York Jets' late-season collapse has cost Eric Mangini his job.

The Jets fired Mangini on Monday, ending his three-year head coaching tenure that concluded with yet another disappointing December finish.

Jets owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum announced Mangini's ouster during a news conference Monday morning, less than 24 hours after New York was eliminated from postseason contention with a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

However, Johnson claimed that Sunday's loss did not determine Mangini's future.

"This is not a decision that we reached yesterday, or 10 minutes ago," Johnson said. "This was a decision that was running throughout the season."

Mangini, 37, coached the Jets to a 9-7 record this season, his second winning campaign since being hired just under three years ago.

But after acquiring three-time league MVP Brett Favre prior to the season and being tabbed as a potential Super Bowl contender, the Jets faded down the stretch, authoring another late-season flop by losing four of their final five games.

Three of those losses came against teams that did not finish with winning records - Denver (8-8), San Francisco (7-9) and Seattle (4-12).

It was an unexpectedly empty finish for a Jets team that got off to an 8-3 start and stood alone atop the AFC East following road wins against New England and Tennessee.

Mangini came under intense scrutiny following the Week 16 loss to the lowly Seahawks, who shut down the Jets in a 13-3 victory.

The mild-mannered Mangini made several questionable coaching moves against the Seahawks, most notably his decision to eschew a punt with the Jets facing fourth down deep in their own territory and trailing, 10-3, late in the fourth quarter.

The move backfired when Favre's downfield pass was batted down, allowing the Seahawks to eventually kick a field goal and take an insurmountable 13-3 lead.

A former assistant with the Patriots, Mangini posted a 23-25 regular-season record with the Jets. He guided New York to a 10-6 record and an unlikely postseason berth in his first season, earning himself the nickname "Mangenius."

But the Jets regressed back to 4-12 last season, prompting an offseason overhaul punctuated by the acquisition of Favre, who arrived to a hero's welcome last summer after retiring, un-retiring and forcing a trade from the Green Bay Packers.

The addition of Favre resulted in the trade of fellow quarterback Chad Pennington, who was shipped to Miami prior to the campaign after spending his first eight seasons with the Jets.

Ironically, Pennington was present Sunday at Giants Stadium when the Dolphins handed Mangini a loss in his final game with the Jets.