Mangini mum on GM's sudden ouster

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio(AP) — The convoluted ouster of George Kokinis as
Cleveland’s general manager barely made a ripple in the Browns’
locker room.

These guys are accustomed to losses.

Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas hardly knew Kokinis, who was hired in
January and left the club under unexplained circumstances on
Monday.

“He wasn’t around too much, and when he was, he was pretty
quiet,” Thomas said.

Everyone inside team headquarters at 76 Lou Groza Blvd. was
pretty quiet on Tuesday. The Browns, who have a bye this week,
went about their business as rumors swirled about Kokinis, the
events that led up to his departure and who – or if – anyone
will replace him.

Browns coach Eric Mangini offered no details about the team’s
decision to move on without his longtime friend and hand-picked
GM.

“Anytime a decision like this is made it is difficult personally
and professionally,” Mangini said. "George is a friend of mine
and I respect him and I wish his family well. I can tell you
that for a variety of reasons things didn’t work out. You never
go into a situation like this with the intention of it not
working out.

“We felt that, organizationally, this was the best decision in
order to move forward.”

That was about as deep as Mangini would venture into the Kokinis
matter. Mangini spent most of his news conference politely
deflecting questions about why the decision was made.

He was asked if there were legal reasons why he couldn’t address
Kokinis’ exit.

“There’s really a variety of reasons,” he said, “and I’ll just
leave it at that.”

Browns owner Randy Lerner, who following Sunday’s loss in
Chicago said he planned to hire a “serious, credible” football
authority to help run his fumbling franchise, was not available
for comment. A team spokesman said there was no immediate plans
for Lerner to address the media.

Lerner did spend two hours meeting with two disgruntled
season-ticket holders, who have been urging Cleveland fans to
stay out of their seats for the Nov. 16 kickoff against
Baltimore in protest of the team’s futility. “Dawg Pound Mike”
Randall said Lerner was open to their ideas and gave them a few
of his own.

“He’s trying to get the Browns on the right track,” Randall
said. “He wants it to happen now. He cares deeply.”

It’s still not known if Kokinis was fired or forced out by the
Browns, who are 1-7 and have been overmatched in most of their
games.

There are reports that Kokinis was asked to resign by Lerner,
who pressed the former GM and sought to dismiss him “for cause.”
Citing a team source, ESPN.com reported that the team’s security
and legal department were reviewing phone records to build its
case against Kokinis.

The Browns denied reports that Kokinis was escorted from the
building on Monday.

As for a possible replacement for Kokinis, Mangini would not
comment when asked if former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar
might handle some of the GM’s responsibilities. Kosar was
recently brought in by Lerner in an unspecified consulting role
that could expand.

Also, the team has not addressed reports that former Browns and
New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, a close friend of Lerner’s,
might return to Cleveland in some capacity. Accorsi helped
Lerner search for a GM earlier this year and has been working as
a consultant for the NFL since retiring in 2007.

Mangini said he would not be resistant to the Browns giving
final personnel decisions to someone else in the future.

“My goal is to win and my goal is to improve,” he said. “There’s
never opposition to someone that can help us achieve that goal.
That’s true here. It was true in New York with the Jets.”

Mangini said he learned under coaching mentors Bill Parcells and
Bill Belichick the benefits of being open to the opinions of
others.

“You appreciate the feedback,” he said. “You appreciate the
honesty. You appreciate people trying to constantly improve at
what they’re doing or constantly help the group improve. You
want to hire as many people as you possibly can like that.”

Mangini and Kokinis began their careers together working under
Belichick, when New England’s coach was with the Browns in the
1990s.

Their breakup as a management team came less than a year after
former GM Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel were dismissed
after failing to make Cleveland a consistent winner.

Kokinis’ parting is just more of the same for the Browns.

“It doesn’t affect me,” tight end Steve Heiden said. "I can
speak for myself on this because I’ve been here a while and I’ve
seen some changes. I can’t control anything that goes on
anywhere else besides at this locker. That’s the truth and
that’s all I’m trying to do.

“I’m in my bubble and I’m staying there.”

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