MOBILE, Ala. — Many people thought Eric Mangini‘s stint as coach of the Cleveland Browns would come to an end when Mike Holmgren was named team president. Instead, Holmgren chose to keep Mangini and his coaching staff for another year.

While the Browns’ four-game winning streak to close out the season certainly didn’t hurt Mangini’s cause, Holmgren said in an interview with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan on the Sirius radio show Moving the Chains that his decision to retain Mangini went far beyond just that small sample of games.

“At the end of the day, a couple of things stand out. He’s a very smart guy, and a good communicator. And he’s willing to be part of a team,” said Holmgren.

“He doesn’t have to do it all by himself. Sometimes I think when he first got here he thought he had to do it all.”

Holmgren also discussed the acquisition of former Eagles executive Tom Heckert to be the club’s general manager, and voiced his confidence that the pairing of Heckert and Mangini will be successful.

He did have one piece of advice for Mangini, however.

“He reminds me a little of myself when I started, and I wanted him to smile some more,” exclaimed Holmgren, who was known for being grouchy at times when he started out with the Packers.

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