[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Mangini says 'best decisions' are main goal in partnership with new GM (and old friend) Kokinis
by Mary Kay Cabot/Plain Dealer Reporter
Monday January 26, 2009, 8:21 PM

BEREA -- Browns coach Eric Mangini and General Manager George Kokinis once lived in a tiny apartment together near the Browns facility and their families have spent time together over the years at the farm of Mangini's father-in-law, Ron Shapiro.

Question is, will their working relationship be as good as their friendship's been over the past 15 years?

"There's a big difference between knowing someone over time and then talking through a lot of the things that we're going to have to deal with day-to-day whether it be the draft, free agency, the 53-man roster, the types of players, how we want to travel, medical or equipment," said Mangini.

Mangini and Kokinis, who worked together here in 1994 and 1995 and in Baltimore in 1996, spent two days in Berea last week going over every aspect of the organization. They discovered they were as in synch as they'd thought they'd be.

"Until you actually have those conversations, you don't know," said Mangini after Kokinis' introductory press conference. "You don't know how someone feels about certain schemes or it could be something as small as how many rookie free agents you bring into rookie minicamp. That's a small thing but it could be a big thing."

Continued