CLEVELAND, Ohio — "Can you win with the Browns?"

That’s what I asked Eric Mangini when speaking with the former Browns coach on Thursday morning.

Actually, I put the question this way, "If someone who had been offered a chance to coach the Browns called you and asked if you could win here, what would you say?"

"Without a doubt, you can win," said Mangini. "I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. The division is a challenge. A real challenge. You have two elite teams (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and I think Cincinnati can be good again. It’s an uphill battle, but you can do it — especially after the strides we’ve made here."

While there are some things Mangini wishes he’d have changed in his two seasons with the Browns, he believes that many of the things needed to be successful are in place.

"You will find a group of players with discipline who will embrace the new coach and be ready to work every day," he said.

Mangini doesn’t discuss the discipline problems that he faced. He has no regrets trading talented but sometimes troubled players such as Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. He knows that fans see back-to-back 5-11 records, and they may not appreciate what he and his coaches did to change the attitude and approach of the team.

But he believes the pieces — in terms of the football "culture" — are in place for the Browns to "begin to win consistently."

Mangini believes the new coach won’t have to go through the seemingly endless search for the next Browns quarterback. He shifted between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson in 2009. Last season, it was Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy, who emerged as the starter.

"Colt McCoy has a real opportunity to be the guy," said Mangini. "He is really bright. He handled a situation (starting the season as the No. 3 quarterback then starting in Game 6) that most rookies could not. He faced a tough schedule. He makes good decisions. He is an accurate passer. He also has all the intangibles (leadership, preparation, poise) that you’d want."

Mangini said the Browns must "add receivers and running backs" to help McCoy, but believes you can build an offense around the rookie from Texas.

He added the new coach, "will find players like Peyton Hillis, who are humble, hard-working, guys who stand for the right things. ... One of my disappointments (about being fired) is that we were putting together the kind of team that Browns fans can really relate to."

Good football men

When Mangini arrived at Mike Holmgren’s office Monday morning, he was reasonably sure the Browns president would fire him. The four consecutive losses combined with a 41-9 spanking by Pittsburgh on the last day of the season turned a promising season into a final 5-11 record.

"Mike was very good about it," said Mangini. "He said he had to make change, and I understood his position. Mike said he enjoyed getting to know me, and then said, ’This would be easier if you were a real (jerk).’ "

Mangini thanked Holmgren for his support.

"I mean that," said Mangini. "Mike held up his end of the bargain. He let me coach the team my way. He didn’t interfere. He and (General Manager) Tom (Heckert) are good football men."

Mangini admitted he "was in a tough spot" once Holmgren was named president. He had signed a four-year contract when Owner Randy Lerner hired him before the 2009 season. Mangini hoped it was not a win-now situation, that he could build an organization and install his values.

But the hiring of Holmgren meant the former Green Bay and Seattle coach now had that job of setting the big picture agenda. Mangini was given one more year to prove he should remain as coach. The odds were against him because he was not hired by Holmgren, nor do they come from the same football families and approaches to the game.

Holmgren has always been a coach with the accent on offense and the passing game. Mangini is a defensive guy from the Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick coaching tree.

"The only thing was that I kind of felt like the lame-duck congress," said Mangini. "I knew the situation. We had to get it done right now. That was hard."

But Mangini added that the new coach will have a strong front office to help him.

"I thought we really worked together well on the draft and other things," he said.

He said one of his regrets from 2009 was that the hiring of George Kokinis as general manager "didn’t work out." That led to Kokinis being fired at midseason, "which was a real setback." Mangini admitted that doing both jobs "was too much ... and I had to learn not to get involved in all the details."

More than once, he said how he enjoyed getting back to just coaching this past season, and he especially had high praise for Heckert as general manager.

Loved being in Cleveland

Several times, Mangini talked about his "growth as a person and a coach."

He said he learned that he needed to be "my own person, to do things my way ... not do something just because it worked for someone else."

He was raised in a coaching school that held the media in disdain, and Mangini said, "I wish had I done a better job explaining to the media and the fans what we were trying to do in terms of changing the culture ... and the different steps that it takes. I would encourage the new coach to be more open about that. Let everyone know your vision and plan, and let them know what it takes to get there."

Mangini said he "feels at peace" about his two years in Cleveland.

"I wish we had won more games," he said. "It always hurts to get fired. But I did stick with what I believe in, and those things will help the next coach."

In the last week, Mangini has been taking his two sons (ages 6 and 4) to school.

"I went out to eat, I went to the mall ... not sure when was the last time that I went to the mall," he said. "I’m not embarrassed. I’m not hiding in the house. I am running into fans everywhere, and they are super. I sense there is a growing excitement and optimism about the Browns. They are becoming relevant again."

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He talked about all the players who have contacted him, who have thanked him. He has been contacted about some coaching jobs, and is open to that. But added that he is "intrigued" by the possibility of working in the front office.

Mangini paused, then spoke with passion, his voice breaking a bit.

"I loved being in Cleveland," he said. "The people here have been great to me and my family. The friendships will mean a lot to me and my family. The fans here are great. I’m not the coach, but I am cheering for this team. I want them to consistently succeed for a long time. I really mean that."