Your Black Monday primer or The Coaching Carousel Hits full speed- Frazier In, Del Rio And Kubiak Safe

Jim Harbaugh/courtesy: football-refs.com

There is a lot to keep an eye on today and this week with today traditionally being a big day for coaching hires and fires in both the NFL and the NCAA.

Here are your story lines:

The big domino in all this is Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Where he ends up will determine what happens with quite a few others. Harbaugh is coaching Stanford in the Orange Bowl Monday night.

His name has already been attached to the Michigan job, should they fire Rich Rodriguez, but reports are surfacing that he's not interested.

The Big Lead says it won't happen RIGHT HERE

Quite honestly, Rodriguez hasn't been fired yet after the Wolverines collapse late this season and into their bowl game. Athletic Director Dave Brandon says that he'll make a decision on Rich Rod's fate, by sometime this week.

The Detroit News speculates about what is next RIGHT HERE. Note in this story that the fall back plan may include San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke, who could actually be the best choice here.

The popular call: Harbaugh is going to the NFL, quite possibly with the 49ers, with the Broncos and former Stanford alum John Elway, making a case as well.

Other Coaching News:

We talked this weekend about the Vikings keeping Leslie Frazier and NFL.com's Michael Lombardi reporting the Jason Garrett will get interim removed from his head coaching title. There's much more.

Marvin Lewis/Courtesy: uglyfours.com

Will Marvin Lewis stay in Cincinnati? Doubtful. There have already been published reports that Marvin may be the one walking away from this marriage. He's let it be known he'd stay...but only on his terms. And quite honestly, his terms aren't unreasonable...except for the fact that he's in Cincinnati.

Marvin's contract expired yesterday. And we know he is meeting with team president/owner/alleged G.M Mike Brown today. We don't expect Brown to capitulate since he believes he's smarter than pretty much everyone else.

The local spin from WCPO Sports Director John Popovich RIGHT HERE

Yahoo Sports speculates Marvin could end up with the job at Pitt RIGHT HERE

Jeff Fisher/Courtesy: girlofwords.com

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweets "Niners target remains Stanford HC Jim Harbaugh. But team is also preparing to speak with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis"


Another big name coach, Jeff Fisher. Fisher's Titans struggled mightily at the end of the season and didn't look totally interested in, well, much of anything the last few games. Combine that with the highly publicized battles between Fisher and owner Bud Adams' pet project, one Vince Young and you've got the possibility of the leagues longest tenured coach being unemployed this week.

The teams executive committee and Fisher are, according to reports, scheduled to meet later this week and decide what to do.

So says the National Football Post RIGHT HERE

The Tennessean's David Climer wraps up the tumultuous Titan season...RIGHT HERE

And there's more.....

The Browns have parted ways with Eric Mangini leading to all kinds of speculation. From Team President Mike Holmgren taking the job, to perennial coaching job favorite Jon Gruden.

However, the name that keeps popping up....believe it or not, fired Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox.

From NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora via Twitter: "From what I've gathered on the Browns situation, I see John Fox landing there as head coach with Mike McCoy as offensive coordinator"


It does make some sense, Fox and Holmgren have known each other for years and Fox did have early success in Carolina. However, the Panthers have struggled mightily the past couple of years and though nobody directly pointed the finger at Fox, some blame has to go his way for losing his team.

As for McCoy, he is/was the Offensive Coordinator in Denver, but the Broncos don't currently have a Head Coach, and there is no guarantee that he'd get to keep his job, so it makes sense since Fox is a defensive guy and McCoy has gotten some props for what he's done in Denver.

Other nuggets:


NFL teams looking for coaches: The Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, The Cleveland Browns. Expect the Miami Dolphins and possibly the Jacksonville Jaguars to join that list along with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Possible Coaching names to watch: Mike Zimmer, D-Coordinator in Cincinnati, Atlanta Falcons O-Coordinator Mike Mularkey, possibly Bill Cowher and probably Jon Gruden...since he's attached to every job.

College Coaching Carousel: It all depends on what Harbaugh does. If he goes NFL, then Brady Hoke will be in play. Also, expect someone to take a run at Chris Peterson in Boise and Gary Patterson of TCU. Neither of them will leave. Mike Leach's name will continue to pop-up for jobs as well. And we are hearing that Mangini has already been attached to the opening at UConn since Randy Edsall left to go to Maryland.

All in all, it will be a busy next few weeks, as always, check in here at the Online Sports Guys for the latest in all of this.

Here is the most appropriate video clip we could find, from the movie Logan's Run, welcome to Carousel:



PM UPDATE: Leslie Frazier had the "interim" tag taken off his title in Minnesota...

Jack Del Rio is safe in Jacksonville... even though the team is 4-11 in December
and January under Del Rio the last three years.

Del Rio is the first coach since the NFL merger in 1970 to lead the same team for eight years without capturing a division title.

Gary Kubiak remains head coach in Houston, but they'll need a new DC as Frank Bush is out. Houston also fired secondary coach David Gibbs, LB coach Johnny Holland and assistant LB coach Robert Saleh.

Bum Phillips showed up at Texans practice last week and chatted with owner Bob McNair. People are now thinking that Wade Phillips may be the new DC.

More when we know more...

BREAKING: Eric Mangini fired, Holmgren Won't Coach Browns

Eric Mangini/Courtesy: phil masturzo-akron beacon-journal.

It appears Black Monday's first firing has happened in Cleveland. Several ESPN reporters are saying that the Cleveland Browns have parted ways with now former head coach Eric Mangini.

This is not a surprise as Mangini has been rumored to not be a favorite of team president Mike Holmgren, though Holmgren gave Mangini a season to turn things around. The Browns went 5-11, which actually was an improvement, but not enough of one.

More from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer RIGHT HERE

Read the teams statement from Holmgren RIGHT HERE

Look for Holmgren to target his pal Jon Gruden, who's rumored for every opening...

However, the name we've been hearing thrown around...a lot, is now former Carolina Panther head coach John Fox. Stay tuned....

Here's Holmgren addressing the media this morning...
((HT: Newsnet5/Cleveland))


And Reggie Rucker has some advice on the matter...
((HT: WEWS-TV))

Mangini Staying, Cribbs Pissed...

No, the two aren't related... that's the beauty of a nebulous headline...

The Man-Genius is returning for a second season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Apparently, on the surface, the last few weeks of the season saved his job.

Da New Team Prez, Mike Holmgren, had said that he wanted to have the coaching situation figured out by the end of the week.

There had been speculation that Mangini’s job was under the microscope after a 1-11 start.

Remember all the fun from earlier in the year... Mangini had hand-picked former general manager George Kokinis- and we all know how that turned out.

Now he's got a new boss in Holmgren and he'll have a new GM soon...

Those of us at OSG HQ think it's more related to Holmgren wanting to see if Mangini can keep the momentum from the end of the 2009 season and, at the same time, not have to worry about bringing in a high-priced coach in an uncapped year with possible labor unrest hanging over everyone's plate...

To the other half of the story...
Kick returner extraordinaire Josh Cribbs is pissed he doesn't have a new deal.

On his Twitter account, Josh posted this:
Thanks everyone, I love playing for the Browns and put my all in to it, but it doesn't look good for me at this point on returning,” Cribbs tweeted. “I don't believe I made the to do list for the team in 2010.”

Cribbs' agent, Peter Schaffer, says that the Browns were willing to move up a $1.4-million, but that's it. Cribbs has three years left on his 6-year, $6.77-million deal. The Browns say they're "not budging..."

Fox 8 caught up with Cribbs after he cleaned out his locker...
((HT: WJW-TV))
 

March should be interesting in Browns camp...

Mike Holmgren goes to Cleveland...A Walrus by the Lake

Hail to the Chief. The Cleveland Browns have a new president, Mike Holmgren. Holmgren, the former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks Head Coach has accepted the job of running the...to be polite...struggling Cleveland Browns.

To be clear, Holmgren will "RUN" the Browns...not coach them.

The story from The Cleveland Plain-Dealer RIGHT HERE.

((Hail to the Chief...or is it Chef? Mike Holmgren//Photo Courtesy: Phillynews.com))

We have at this early point no idea what this will mean for the Man-genius. The Browns to date have won 3 games this year, though they have for most of the season been somewhat of a laughing stock. The Man-Genius has taken a lot of flack for his somewhat "Intersting" coaching methods. But, the team has been playing hard of late, though they are clearly outgunned. Needless to say Mr. Walrus...I mean President Holmgren has a mighty task ahead of him, trying to rebuild a very proud franchise that isn't really even a shell of their former selves.

Enjoy President Holmgren taking his coaching victory lap in Seattle. Courtesy: KJR Radio/You Tube: (Try singing "Hail to the Chief" when you see this")

Mangini is at it again...This time it's James Davis

Can someone please explain again how exactly Eric Mangini is able to be an NFL Football coach? It seems like it has been a non-stop spiral into hell for the Cleveland Browns ever since the "Man-Genius" arrived on the shores of Lake Erie after being fired in New York.

This time Mangini and the Browns are being investigated by the NFL for something that happened in practice. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Browns, for some unkown reason allowed rookie Running Back James Davis to participate in a drill during a "Post Practice Opportunity Period" (whatever that is) without his shoulder pads. According to Schefter and his sources, Davis was "Trucked" by a "Frisky" linebacker who had "His" pads on. The result, Davis' already slightly injured shoulder was injured a whole lot worse. The report was of course denied by the Browns and Mangini, however Schefter claims at least 5 independent sources corroborated what happened to him.

((James Davis photo//Courtesy:Cleveland Plain-Dealer))

The story from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer HERE

Schefter's original report from ESPN.COM HERE

We won't rush to judgement here and say that this is abosolutely true and for Mangini and the Browns sake you better hope it isn't. To say that they have a had a "Bad" run of luck lately would be a bit of an understatement and the fact that they beat Buffalo in one of the worst games in NFL history yesterday isn't going to change that. The only saving grace they have at this point is that they aren't the Oakland Raiders though they quickly are gaining on them. One has to wonder considering all the dysfunction happening in Cleveland right now if Mangini was the right person for the job, the evidence seems to be pointing in the "No" department, but maybe something strange will happen and things will turn around. Of course that should happen on the same day that Cleveland reports a 90 degree day in January.

Coach Eric Not So Man-Genious After All

((HT: CBSSports))

The NFL has assessed $125,000 in fines to the New York Jets and former coach Eric Mangini for violating the league's rules on injury reporting with former quarterback Brett Favre last season.

The Jets failed to place Favre, now with the Minnesota Vikings, on the injury report during the final month of last season even though he had a torn biceps tendon.

The league announced it had fined the Jets $75,000, and Mangini and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum $25,000 apiece. Mangini now coaches the Cleveland Browns.

Hiding injuries could affect an opponent's preparation and the NFL has stepped up policing such practices. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the case would be an opportunity for the league to stress that all teams must abide by the injury report rules.

Last week, Tannenbaum admitted the Jets should have listed Favre as "probable" on their injury reports. That came a day after Favre said he thought he was hurting the Jets because of the injury and discussed it with the coaches and the front office. He said he would have been willing to sit out, even though that would have ended his streak of consecutive starts, which now stands at 270 games.

Tannenbaum said the team didn't list Favre on the report because the injury wasn't severe enough to require daily treatment and there was never any doubt Favre would play. Tannenbaum also assumed full responsibility for the mistake.

Mangini said he has always abided by the league's guidelines for injury reports.

"That was true there (in New York). It's true here," Mangini said. "It'll be true every week of the season and that's how we approach it."
Favre led the Jets to an 8-3 start and first place in the AFC East. But he threw nine interceptions down the stretch and the team lost four of its last, missing the playoffs.

Favre told reporters last week he may not be able to play all 16 games with the Vikings, even after the biceps tendon was surgically repaired. He said he's playing with a torn rotator cuff and suggested he might have a cracked rib.

All the above story is give us an excuse to show Favre, when he was reportedly healthy, in his home debut last year...
((HT: CBSSports/NFL))

Is Randy Lerner a Mangini-ous...?

We'll soon find out...he certainly has a Man-crush...

It appears that former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini ((pictured, thanks/cleveland.com)) will not remain on the unemployment line for long. Mangini and the Cleveland Browns have agreed to terms on a contract that will make him the new, um, top dog on the shores of lake Erie.

Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot from the Cleveland Plain Dealer report that formal introductions will be made Thursday by the lake. Mangini has, apparently, been Browns' owner Randy Lerner's choice all along.

This may also put to rest the "Pioli-to-Cleveland" talk as Mangini promoted his friend, Baltimore Ravens pro personnel director George Kokinis, to Lerner as a possibility to take over as the team's chief football executive- replacing the fired Phil Savage. Kokinis is expected to talk to the Browns on Sunday.

Another interesting sidebar from their article:

"Mangini's hiring increases the possibility of ((former head coach Romeo)) Crennel staying with the Browns, perhaps as defensive coordinator. Mangini and Crennel worked five years together on Bill Belichick's New England staff, sharing three Super Bowl championships. When Crennel was named Browns coach in 2005, Mangini was his first choice for defensive coordinator, but Mangini opted to stay in New England as Crennel's replacement in charge of the Patriots' defense."

We'll keep you posted...and it does bring together brothers-in-law. Indians GM Mark Shapiro's sister Julie married Mangini in the late 1990's.

No Love for Favre

Not a Good Teammate?

Isn't it strange that just a week after the non-playoff teams in the NFL end their season and the NFL Coaching Carousel begins, that all of a sudden there is a whole lot of griping going on.

It's no secret that we at the OSG recoil at the mention of Brett Favre, but now it comes to light that apparently his teammates feel the same way.

(photo courtesy of Bleacher Report)

Check out these pearls of wisdom from Favre's New York Jets Teammate Thomas Jones here .

Or better yet, check out the actual interview from New York's Hot 97 FM here

And because we like to pile on...and so do Brett's teammates...take a look at what they say here

Surprise

There were more than a few people surprised that the Jets fired Coach Eric Mangini after the season. You had to know it was coming when on the day before, the 4-Letter starts running on there "Crawl"- Sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen or one of those guys that Brett Favre was upset and disappointed in his relationship with the Coach this season". Folks, that should have been the first clue.

(photo courtesy of Suzy Allman/New York Times)

I'm guessing that the only people surprised about any of this is the folks at our favorite 4-Letter Word. It became really evident this past off season when Favre whined and cried about retiring...and then unretired. It became obvious when he tried to force the Packers, who had decided to move on...to take him back.

Judging by the decent, but not great performance of the Jets this season, Favre isn't the "Legend" that he was made out to be. Maybe he's just lost it. Maybe he was hurt. Or maybe...and this is directed towards Favre and his legions of "Fans", he is the Whiny Bitch that we thought he was and needs to get out of football. Time is sometimes forgiving and maybe in time he'll be remembered for what he did on the field rather than what he's now done off of it.

Black Tuesday Pro Tackle Football Update

In addition to Shanahan...

Dick Jauron is staying Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills...
Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News has the latest...
The contract extension is for three years...

Mike Martz is out in San Francisco to no one's surprise...
John Crumpacker from the San Francisco Chronicle tells us what we all knew- Samurai Mike and The Mad Scientist didn't get along...
Martz may now pedal his evil-geniusness someplace else...

The Raiders list for their opening includes Tom Cable, Giants' OC Kevin Gilbride, Raiders extra-special scouting guy Paul Hackett, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, and Westwood One analyst Jim Fassel.

Gary Kubiak fired three assistants with the Houston Texans- DC Richard Smith, D-Backs Coach Jon Hoke, and D-Line Coach Jethro Franklin.

John McClain from the Houston Chronicle has the fallout.

Mary Kay Cabot from the Cleveland Plain Dealer gives us Scott Pioli's first choice for coach- Iowa's Kirk Ferentz...???

More Cleveland... Tony Grossi has the interview list for the Browns Chief Exec- Scott Pioli and Rich McKay. Falcons fans are more than happy to hear McKay's name thrown in there.

Coach interviews are looking like Eric Mangini and the Giants Steve Spagnuolo... Romeo Crennel has told anyone willing to listen that he'll be more than happy to stay on staff if the new coach wants him to... Gee, thanks...

Last, but not least... The Chin will talk to the Jets.
Brian Costello of the New York Post has the idea on paper that "GM Mike Tannenbaum is "willing to do what's best for the team." That includes giving up his player personnel duties for Cowher and his cadre.

But Peter King maintains that it will be 2010 that Cowher comes back at the earliest-unless that perfect offer comes along.

And it's only Tuesday...

Off With Their Heads!!

3 NFL head coaches were fired today.

Rod Marinelli was fired today by the Detroit Lions, who went 0-16 this year.

"You can't go 0-16 and expect to keep your job," Marinelli said. The man said it all.

Romeo, Romeo. Where art thou Romeo? Looking for a job. Romeo Crennel was canned by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns were expected to make a playoff run. Instead the Browns, with the color scheme of crap, played like it so Romeo was run out of Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner talked to Bill Cowher about coaching the team. Cowher's response, not interested.

"The explanation that he gave," Lerner said, "was that he was very focused on his kids and his life in North Carolina, and the way he's living in a noncoaching or, if you will, a civilian existence and that he wasn't finished with that."

In other words, I'm not leaving my comfortable gig at CBS to coach your underachieving team.

Finally, and this one puzzles me, Eric Mangini was fired by the New York Jets. Team owner Woody Johnson and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum's reason for the move was, let's say it all together, they felt the Jets need to go in a different direction.

"I don't think it was one thing," owner Woody Johnson said at a news conference Monday. "We had to go in a different direction. There's nothing specific. It's just a call we made. Hopefully, it's correct."

"He did a great job for us for three years and he helped lay a great foundation," Mike Tannenbaum said. "We felt, in our judgment, we want to build on that and go in a different direction."

Sounds like corporate speak for "We are making a change to make a change." Ladies, gentlemen and Jet fans, it's this kind of decision making that make the New York Jets the joke their are.

The Jets played far above their heads starting out 8-3 and then your celebrity quarterback Brett Farve lets you down. In his last 5 games Farve threw only 2 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions.

The Jets collapse is on Farve, not Mangini. I know you can't fire Farve but you can the head coach. I'm sorry, Farve was great 10 years ago but now he's became a liability with his poor decisions and bad throws. Now you can call Brett Farve a coach killer because the way it looks he undermined Mangini authority to the point where the idiot owner and GM made this move.

Eric Mangini will be a successful head coach in the NFL. He won't with the Jets though but judging from their checkered past, who can.

Eric Mangini Photo Courtesy: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

"Snow What" Part Deux- Ellis Fined 10-Grand

In the Shield's most recent attempt to earn their nickname of "No Fun League," New York Jets defensive End Shaun Ellis is the proud owner of a $10,000 fine for picking up a chunk of Qwest Field snow Sunday and tossing it up in to the stands.

"It was kind of like a little battlefield out there, so to speak," Ellis said. "I mean, it was just all in fun, going to the locker room."

Hell, if every fan that was tossing snowballs at the Jets in the video below as they walked off the field was fined 10-grand, the league would be rather well off this week.

According to the NFL, players are notified before each season that any contact with fans that potentially presents crowd-control issues and risk of injury is prohibited. Players are also informed that they must not confront fans during games and must leave any issues to security personnel.

Coach Eric Mangini thought his team was put in a dangerous predicament as it walked off the field, saying several people were pelted with snowballs.

"That situation in the stadium in general was not a very safe situation for anybody involved," Mangini said. "That doesn't justify us getting involved in it on the flip side of that. He understands that. We thought that there could've been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety from snowballs coming down."

Mangini seemed to indicate the Jets could raise a stink with the league regarding the behavior of Seattle's fans. What's the league gonna do...? Fine all the fans...???

"I wouldn't want that to happen at our stadium," he said. "I'm sure Seattle didn't want that, either. It's just something that hopefully can be avoided whether it's us, Seattle, whoever in the future. You just don't want someone to get struck and hurt in that environment."

((HT: the youtube))