CLEVELAND -- Eric Mangini came up with his biggest win yet.
Mangini will return for a second season as the Cleveland Browns' coach, a stunning personal victory following a four-game winning streak by the team that might have saved his job. New Browns president Mike Holmgren decided Thursday to retain Mangini, whose job security was in jeopardy after the Browns started the season 1-11.
Mangini's staff also has been asked to return.
Holmgren spent the past two days in meetings with Mangini, who was fired by the New York Jets after the 2008 season.
"I was able to gain some tremendous insight into his thought process and philosophies and came away from our meetings very impressed," Holmgren said in a statement released by the Browns. "In my opinion, Eric has gained the respect and admiration of players, coaches and others in the organization, and with him continuing to lead the team, I feel that we are headed in the right direction.
"Working together, our goal is to build on the strong tradition of this franchise and help get the Browns back to the playoffs."
Instead, Holmgren elected continuity over a swift coaching purge. Mangini is the Browns' fourth coach since 1999.
"I want to thank Mike for the opportunity to not only meet with him and share my thoughts and vision on what it takes to lead a team, but also to continue what we started here," Mangini said in the statement. "I believe we made some real, tangible progress throughout the course of the season, culminating with wins in our final four games. I feel as though the culture and mindset that we established this year have laid the foundation for success in 2010 and beyond, and I'm looking forward to working with Mike and a general manager in making this happen."
Players questioned his methods. Fans wanted him fired. The national media scorned him. But Mangini survived.
Although he and Mangini have different offensive and defensive philosophies, Holmgren apparently found enough common ground to want to work with his inherited coach. But Holmgren's decision to keep Mangini, who has three years left on his contract, comes with risk.
If the Browns don't start well next season, the focus will shift to whether Holmgren will return to the sideline. Earlier this week, the 61-year-old Holmgren, who won a Super Bowl championship with the Green Bay Packers and took the Seattle Seahawks to their only championship-game appearance, said he has no plans to coach in Cleveland.
"I did it," Holmgren said. "It was so much fun. I enjoyed it. I miss it, and I know I'm going to miss it. My challenge is to take my new role, help whoever the coach is be as successful as he can be and understand that. I'm in a different place now."
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Mangini was granted a second season one day shy of his first anniversary with the Browns, who hired him on Jan. 8 last year. He avoided joining an infamous club with Ray Rhodes, who was fired by two teams -- the Packers and Philadelphia Eagles -- after two full consecutive seasons.
Now that the Browns' coaching situation is resolved, Holmgren can move down his to-do list.
Holmgren will interview Seahawks pro personnel director Will Lewis on Friday for the Browns' GM position. Lewis has a strong background with Holmgren, working with him in Green Bay and Seattle. After his playing career ended, Lewis was a scout with the Packers before following Holmgren to Seattle, where he joined the team's pro personnel department.
Holmgren's interview with Lewis, who is black, fulfills the Browns' obligation to comply with the NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head-coaching jobs and other key positions.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
