Transcript of Jets head coach Eric Mangini's conference call with beat reporters from the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on Monday evening:
On if he's figured out where everything is yet in the new facility...
I did find my office OK. Took a little while, actually. Went past it the first time I got in. But the building is amazing. We don't officially have our grand opening until tomorrow, but we did have the players in today and the coaching staff and support staff, and I can tell you the reaction has been what I would expect it to be. Everybody was excited and the energy was great in the facility.
And [senior vice president] Bill Senn, who put it all together for us, we were able to take a few minutes today to thank him as a team in being able to get this building in place and us in place six months ahead of schedule. Really an incredible job and so many people organizationally were a huge part of that. We had our IT people working basically 24 hours a day for a long time making sure everything was set, and operations, and right on down the line. Just a great coordinated organizational effort. I tell you, you guys won't be disappointed when you come to visit here tomorrow.
On Senn's role...
Bill Senn ran the operation, and I'm not sure what his official title is. All I know is he made it all happen from a big picture perspective, and he is the person that I met with and Mike met with and Jay Cross, when we initially had our meeting to decide when the move would take place. I think we shocked him at that point when we asked to have it done at the start of this season, but at that point he took the challenge, and I tell you, it's just an amazing place.
On an update on Mike Westhoff returning to his staff...
Yeah, Mike is going to come back and join us. I really weren't sure where it was going to go. He had to get medical clearance to do that, and it's nothing that he ever expected and that I ever expected. But as tough Mike is and as committed as he is, he was way ahead on his rehab. So I saw the opportunity and we talked about it and talked it through, and he is going to be with us this year.
I'm excited about that, too. It's great to have him back, and I tell you how much I've always liked Mike and how much I respect him as a coach and the things he did outside his role last year as special teams coach. That's another really positive thing that's happened here in the last few days.
On Westhoff's role as a "bench coach" and how it affects ST coach Kevin O'Dea...
Mike's role last year was similar to what you're saying where he coached special teams but he did a lot of other things in addition to that. And with his wealth of experience, he's a guy that I can go and talk to about issues that come up, whether they be directly related to game management or whether it's personnel decisions or coaching decision, any of those things, he always provides great insight.
When I hired Kevin, Mike was part of that process and we really hired him together. And Kevin understands the situation and is very much excited about the opportunity to work with Mike and has a tremendous amount of respect for Mike as well. So I think the value of having two guys that are as good as they are in what they do is only going to enhance the things that we are able to do on special teams.
On if Westhoff will become special teams coach and O'Dea will become his assistant...
I'm not changing Kevin's title. I haven't really given Mike any specific title. We could call him whatever we want to call him, I guess emeritus, guru, whatever you want. But he's going to be special teams, yes.
On Westhoff's special teams role...
Mike and Kevin will work together on the special teams and how the exact assignments are split up. Nothing is set in stone. I think the real value here is Kevin comes from such a good system in Chicago and he has brought a lot of really good ideas from that system. And the one thing about Mike is that even though he has strong opinions, which I value, he's very open to new ideas. And I think what's sometimes lost with Mike is he has been an innovator of a lot of things and he's constantly studying different ways to do things and the different ways that people do things.
I think having Kevin here and working with him is going to be a big asset for him as well, because it's another person that he can bounce ideas off of and a whole other set of ideas and a different system to help strengthen our system at the point.
On if Westhoff will call the special teams plays...
Mike will be responsible for that.
On if he told the team of Westhoff's return...
Yes, I have.
On the team's reaction to the news...
I think it's like any decision. I explained exactly what my thought process was, and the team feels about Mike the same way that I feel about Mike. They all understand the circumstances with which he had to leave. He had to take care of something medically that was pressing, and that was the most important thing. And first and foremost, they were happy with how well he's covered. The surgery he had was really ground-breaking surgery and the recovery that he had was well ahead of schedule.
So they were excited to see him and happy for him in that context, and they are happy that he's helping us out and playing a role on the team this year, because you know, he didn't leave for any reasons besides a medical reason. And everybody thinks that this is another opportunity to strengthen the team and it's in no way an indictment against Kevin.
As I say, Mike and I hired Kevin together and Mike was instrumental in that decision and everybody feels positive about the situation we have where you'll have two guys like Kevin and Mike working together and the melding of two systems and the insight of both guys. There will be some things that we can catch now on special teams with two sets of eyes that you may not have had in previous years.
On interest in signing S John Lynch, released by New England...
What a lot of this weekend was, when you go through the rounds of cuts, Mike spearheaded the group, but his group with Joey Clinkscales and Scott Cohen and Brendan Prophett and Terry, all of those guys work on the group of players that become available.
As people are added to practice squads and things like that, they continue to work on that. And some of those are guys that are practice-squad-eligible for us or they are guys that we may think about bringing to the active roster or they are veteran guys that we may want to bring in for a workout and take a look at.
So I would say that John is one of those guys that's been on that list, but it's not a list of one; it's a group of players, and that list that's being evaluated is ongoing. That's what we do each day, and I know we joke about the meeting that Mike and I have each night, but that's really the process that we go through, where they are constantly looking at and evaluating those players and putting it in the context of our team and then the discussions as to whether we want to add a guy and how that would fit and how it would work.
On if the Jets plan to have Lynch in for a workout...
You know, I know Mike has been in contact with a lot of different agents, and that's really his operation right now. I will get involved more on the back end of that where he and I discuss it and discuss it in the context of the team.
On his and his players' thoughts on facing former Jets QB Chad Pennington in the season opener at Miami...
It's the unique thing or the unique part of our game that you almost face daily where players change teams and sometimes they change teams and go to a conference opponent. I've been on that side from a coaching perspective twice, one going from the Jets to New England and then going from New England to the Jets. So it does take a little bit of a transition. I think everybody is happy for Chad and excited for the opportunity that he has there, but when it comes down to the game, it will be Jets vs. Dolphins, not Chad vs. the Jets or vice versa.
It's part of what we face, usually weekly, where there's somebody that was either on that team who was with us or with us that was on that team. As different as it is seeing someone that you work with be on a different team, it's really more the norm than not.
On if it is different with Pennington after his long history with the Jets...
As I said, it's something that I think everybody feels positive about in terms of the opportunity that Chad has and the feelings that we all have for Chad and the respect that we all have for Chad. But when it comes to the actual game, I think everybody will be dealing with him as the opposing quarterback and operating in that manner.
On the competitive advantage the new training center will give his players...
It was really well-thought-out and well-designed. And the way that it's set up is there's very quick access between the meeting rooms and the indoor facility and the meeting rooms and the outdoor facility. There's a lot of ease going from classroom teaching to walkthroughs and things like that.
So depending on what type of learning style you're dealing with or how you want to reinforce the information, you can do that quickly. And there's a lot of space to work with, all the latest technology is here, and the fields — having three full grass fields, the full outdoor turf field, the full indoor facility with the roof where you can punt. They have really thought about all those different aspects. Just an excellent job of design and construction.
On the new facility's press room...
You know, there are some private offices, it looks like. I don't know how those were assigned [laughter]. The actual room itself might be a little bit tight. They might want us to become a little closer than we've already become, which I look forward to. ... I figure the tighter we can be squeezed in, the better.
On if he has a "huge palatial office with a view"...
I have no view. I'm sure Mike [Tannenbaum] did that on purpose to make sure I wasn't paying attention to anything besides the film. It's just taking a little getting used to, walking around the building. Even the drive in this morning, you drive in and you see a couple deer. That really wasn't something I saw a lot coming in from Garden City.
On watching out for the bears...
I hope there are no bears, but I'm sure Brett will be excited to see the deer.
