Neither is surprising. What does come as something of a shock is the last part of Heckert's reasoning.

Heckert told the Browns he is canceling the interview that was scheduled for Friday because he doesn’t know Mangini and would not be entirely comfortable with the situation in Cleveland the way that it is.

That's no good.

Rick, over at Waiting for Next Year, wonders if Randy Lerner dropped the ball by not showing up for today's news conference.

Mangini needs to maintain his stance as a disciplinarian, writes Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer.

Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the same job.

The Browns will be getting one of the Ryan coaching brothers, just the wrong one. At least that's what Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun wrote in his blog today.

How can you not give one of the best defensive coordinators in your division, in the NFL, an interview?

Good question.

IT IS NOW OFFICIAL

Michael Holley of radio station WEEI in Boston is reporting that the Browns will name Eric Mangini, formerly of the Jets, as the organization's new head coach by the end of the week.

Holley, a former Akron Beacon Journal reporter, is the author of Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion, so he has a lot of connections to members of the Belichick coaching tree, which includes Mangini.

With the Jets, Mangini had a 23-25 record and went 9-7 this season. New York got off to an 8-3 start in 2008 before faltering down the stretch and missing the playoffs.

Listen to the radio report. Holley's mention of this news item begins at the 11-minute mark.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer writes that Mangini would like to bring Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll and receivers coach Noel Mazzone. Both are still under contract with the Jets.

Mangini would also be interested in offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and assistant head coach Bill Callahan being added to his staff in Cleveland. Both, however, are fringe candidates for Mangini's old job.

Cabot's source told her current Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has yet to meet with Mangini.

In other Browns coaching news, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is scheduled to interview with the Seattle Seahawks for the same position.

What this move may signal is that Giants defensive coordinator, and former Eagles linebackers coach Steve Spagnuolo is not out of the mix yet.  As mentioned in the article, Heckert and Spagnuolo have unofficially been shopped as head coach and general manager team.  While he doesn't have final personnel control, Heckert is a draft guru with an impressive track record since being named the general manager of the Eagles in January 2006.

(Side note, Heckert, smartly, has already turned down the Detroit Lions for their assistant general manager vacancy. And his dad was a scout with the Browns in the 1980's.  Pretty nice local connection.)

Owner Randy Lerner was allegedly favorable towards Spagnuolo after his interview last week, but was a happier with Mangini due to his previous NFL head coaching experience.

Mangini may be the more experienced coach, but Heckert & Spagnuolo is likely to be a more efficient team than Mangini & Kokinis.  Mangini is basically picking his boss, and realistically Kokinis could turn into a figurehead for Mangini's decision making process.  Mangini was fired over his management style with the Jets, and the way he handled the Brett Favre scenario.  Also lost in the shuffle of Mangini's firing from the Jets is the amount of heat he took the second half of the season for making sixth overall pick Vernon Gholston inactive in December.  The pick has been widely criticized.

Spagnuolo is inexperienced, but he and Heckert would bring a more traditional and cohesive coach and general manager relationship, in this blogger's opinion.

Mangini's top choice for GM to be interviewed, source says

That was the secondary headline in today's paper. It made me cringe, and you should too. The literal translation is that Eric Mangini, the former Jets coach and favorite for Browns owner Randy Lerner, is picking his own boss. That boss would be George Kokinis, friend of Mangini and Ravens director of pro personnel.

Pretty great deal, getting to hire your boss. Imagine the possibilities. The vacation days. The overlooked poor work.

Oddly, that is not even the strangest part of this whole situation.

If (or possibly when) this Mangini/Kokinis team comes to power in Cleveland, it will be the Browns' second try with a combination of a former Patriots defensive coordinator (Mangini) and Ravens front office member (Kokinis).

Too bad the phrase isn't "second time's a charm" because this just doesn't feel good.

There is also a big snag in this whole scenario. Kokinis can't interview until Sunday.

Still, that could leave the Lions, Broncos and Chiefs open to making personnel moves, leaving the Browns hoping Kokinis works.

Or, do the Browns go back to Scott Pioli of the Patriots now, even though he would want to bring in Kirk Ferentz of Iowa as the head coach?

This all quickly turned into a mess. Patrick McManamon has more on that mess here. Regardless, it makes me think of this photo of Randy Lerner after Butch Davis quit.

Note: Thanks to commentator Joe G. For the tip on Kokinis' interview availability. If you have any other tip and don't want to leave a comment, e-mail me at dan@ohio.com.

Josh McDaniels, Offensive coordinator, Patriots (1/2/09):  The Barberton boy is light on experience but big on upside.  He works well with quarterbacks, and he runs an innovative offense.  Brady Quinn has a similar makeup to the Patriots starter Matt Cassell, who is going to the bank in free agency after a big 2008 season. McDaniels is a huge gamble, but some of his offensive philosophies are being stolen now by other NFL teams.  Taking a risk on a guy like McDaniels is no different than what the 49ers did in the late 70's with Bill Walsh.  He could revolutionize the game, or fall flat on his face.

Steve Spagnuolo, Defensive coordinator, Giants (1/10/09):  Spagnuolo is my favorite of the defensive choices.  His pressure schemes are top notch, and he's also a guy who could be ahead of the curve.  Switching to Spagnuolo would likely mean an overhaul of the front seven, but it could be time to take a chance.  His zone blitz scheme would probably better utilize talents on the roster already, such as defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, and safety Sean Jones.  The bad news is that players like linebackers Andra Davis, Leon Williams, Willie McGinest and defensive linemen Shaun Smith and Corey Williams likely aren't athletic enough to hack it in this system.  If the Browns want Spagnuolo, they will not only face a great deal of competition, but the NFL Playoffs schedule working against them.

Eric Mangini, former head coach, Jets (12/30/08):  Owner Randy Lerner seems intrigued by Mangini, but this package may be as well wrapped as once thought.  There are conflicting reports about whether Mangini and potential general manager candidate Scott Pioli have a good working relationship after Spygate.  It would seem that Mangini and Pioli could work together, but that is no lock.  Mangini would bring some credibility to the Browns head coaching position, which hasn't had an experienced NFL coach since Nick Skorich, who was the Browns head coach from 1971 through 1974.  Word is that Lerner is more apt to hire an experienced NFL head coach, per Terry Pluto.

After all, the Browns have been mostly putrid since returning to Cleveland in 1999, leaving many fans jaded and, possibly, disinterested.

Then, the fans kept voting. And voting. And voting some more.

What is this, Nov. 4?

As of this writing, 1,343 people have voted for a new head coach of the Browns. For a general manager, 1,294 have expressed their opinion.

At first, many of you had former New York Jets coach Eric Mangini picked as the new coach. Then, the Denver Broncos went and fired Mike Shanahan. That, along with Marty Schottenheimer not being a choice, pushed the "other" choice to the lead.

So what does this mean exactly? Well, as far as polling goes, this is as inconclusive as the Browns' search has been (at least so far).

Owner Randy Lerner has already interviewed Mangini and Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants. Interviews are also scheduled for Josh McDaniels of the Patriots and Mel Tucker, the Browns' defensive coordinator. The Browns are also rumored to be getting in contact with Shanahan.

But should the owner even be picking a head coach before a general manager? Some of you don't think so.

"I don't think it's prudent to decide on a coach when you don't even have a general manager," wrote Ralph Gizzip. "Obviously Mr. Lerner doesn't know football so he needs to hire a GM that has proven he can build a winning team. The new GM is then responsible for hiring a head coach to run the operations on the field."

If that is the case and the opinion of the fans matters as much as football teams say, then the Browns should bring in Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli.

He has nearly half the vote so far. Signs point to him as being Lerner's top choice, but that could also mean bringing in University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.

But comments around the blogosphere point to some weariness in hiring another college coach following the Butch Davis disaster.

So, what to do? Wait and enjoy the ride. Oh, and vote if you haven't!

With the Jets, Mangini had a 23-25 record and went 9-7 this season. New York got off to an 8-3 start this year, before faltering down the stretch. Mangini was reportedly let go because he didn't want Bret Favre to be the team's quarterback this season. Neither general manager Mike Tannenbaum or owner Woody Johnson were that specific.

Tannenbaum in the New York Times:

“I respect Eric, I admire him. He’s loyal, he’s smart. I think the world of him. But at the end of day, when I sat down with Woody, we had to make the right decision, not the easy one. But I am human and it hurt on a personal standpoint. But it’s what’s best for the New York Jets. We’ve made that decision and now we’re going to move forward.”

Johnson:

“This is about the most difficult thing you can do as franchise owner, and that’s making a change at head coach. Eric’s been our coach for three years. He’s done some amazing things. Nobody’s worked harder. He knows his X’s and O’s. He’s a good teacher.

“But Mike and I felt it was time to make a change. It’s not a decision we reached yesterday or 10 minutes ago. This was a decision running through the season.”

What makes this puzzling is that owner Randy Lerner indicated on Monday that a general manager would be selecting the head coach.

Mangini, 38, began his career with the Browns in 1994 as a ball boy. Mangini then latched on as an intern in the team's public relations department before being asked by head coach Bill Belichick to break down film for coaches.

Mangini gained notoriety during the 2005 season as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. That catapulted him into the Jets job in 2006. The team went to the playoffs in 2007, losing in the first round to the Patriots.

Also see: Welcome back, RAC?

Per ESPN's James Walker, Crennel would consider coming back to the team in another capacity next season, presumably as the defensive coordinator.  That all hinges on the hiring of Patriots vice president of player personnel, Scott Pioli.  Pioli is expected to be the front runner for the Browns general manager job.

Towards the end of the post, Walker, a former Browns beat writer in Columbus, OH gives a small clue as to who the Browns could be looking at for a head coach should Pioli come aboard:

If Pioli is hired, head coaching candidates are expected to be Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

McDaniels is not a shock, but he's fairly green.  He's only 32 years old, but he's a local boy who grew up in Barberton, OH and played football at John Carroll University.

On the other hand, Ferentz is a seasoned NCAA coach, having been at the helm of the University of Iowa since 1998.  He's a popular name who has come up previous head coaching hunts in 2001 and then again in 2005.

If Crennel does return to the team, it's likely to pair with the young McDaniels.  He has only been a coordinator for three seasons, and would be one of the NFL's youngest head coaches.  Crennel would likely run the defense on his own then.

So you tell us, if Josh McDaniels becomes the Browns head coach, are you okay with the possibility of Romeo Crennel coming back as the defensive coordinator?  Leave a comment.

So who are the best candidates right now?  And I don't mean Bill Cowher or Marty Schottenheimer…

Steve Spagnuolo, Defensive Coordinator, New York Giants

Easily the hottest name in coaching circles, but does he even want to be a head coach yet?  He turned down the head coaching job with the Washington Redskins last offseason, and may do the same this offseason with the offers that come in.  With just about two seasons as the Giants coordinator, he's shown he can scheme with the best of them.  This season the Giants defense lost several players due to injury, and they are still an elite unit.  Best of all, Spagnuolo's system is geared towards making the linebackers and ends highly productive.  Spagnuolo may be light on experience, but his upside is highly intriguing.

Clancy Pendergast, Defensive Coordinator, Arizona Cardinals

If Spagnuolo is the best at turning up the heat and blitzing, Pendergast is a close second.  He is a highly creative defensive mind, and will use concepts that are shunned by most NFL teams.  Under his guise, Adrian Wilson has turned into an elite strong safety.  Last season Wilson set an NFL single season record for sacks in a season by a defensive back with eight. 

Rex Ryan, Defensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

Weakening a rival's core would be nice, and Ryan would be a start.  Considered a bright and creative coach, he runs aggressive schemes meant to pressure the quarterback.  The talent level in Baltimore has helped him be a bit more dangerous with his blitz packages, but he still has a proven track record.  He has helped tailor little known talents like safety Dawan Landry, linebacker Bart Scott, and linebacker/end Jarret Johnson into high level defenders. 

Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

Before you jump down my throat on this one, realize that Cameron's track record with quarterbacks is impressive.  Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and now rookie Joe Flacco flourish in his passing game and are fundamentally sound.  He also runs nearly an identical system to what the Browns offense do currently, so the transition to a new system would be nill.  Yes, his 2007 Dolphins team went 1-15, but they also lost six games by less than a field goal.  Bad luck doesn't always show up in the wins and losses, admittedly.  Cameron may get another shot, and much like Ryan, weakening a division rival would be key.

Mike Mularkey, Offensive Coordinator, Atlanta Falcons

After a failed stint as the Bills head coach, and then as the Dolphins offensive coordinator, Mularkey has landed on his feet in Atlanta this season.  His tutoring of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan has lead the former Boston College product to be a highly productive and efficient passer this season.  Mularkey comes with some baggage, having resigned from the Bills job due to disagreements with management.  Right now, he's the least qualified candidate. 

Other names to watch include:

Brian Schottenheimer, Offensive Coordinator, New York Jets

Rob Ryan, Defensive Coordinator, Oakland Raiders

Mike Nolan, former head coach, San Francisco 49ers

Josh McDaniels, Offensive Coordinator, New England Patriots

Brian Billick, former head coach, Baltimore Ravens

So who are you interested in coaching the Browns in 2009?