Mangini virtually mum on Kokinis
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Browns coach Eric Mangini addressed Monday's departure of general manager George Kokinis at his Tuesday press conference, but dodged nearly every question about what transpired.
"The decision that was made yesterday, any time a decision like that is made it's difficult personally and professionally. George is a friend of mine and I respect him and I wish his family well. I can tell you 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 organizationally this was the best decision in order to move forward. We have a strong structure in place on both the pro side and the college side and will continue to operate effectively on a day-to-day basis."
When asked if he was unable to talk about Kokinis because of legal issues regarding Kokinis' contract, Mangini said, "There's a variety of reasons and I'll leave it at that."
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday night that the Browns were trying to reach a settlement with Kokinis in which he would resign, but that Kokinis would not agree.
