Report: BC threatens to fire Jagodzinski

Coach would pay price for a Jets interview

Boston College football coach Jeff Jagodzinski apparently will make a career choice today as he decides whether to interview for the New York Jets head coaching vacancy with the threat of being fired hanging over his head.

According to an ESPN report, Jagodzinski has been told he will be fired if he interviews for the job, which opened when the Jets jettisoned Eric Mangini last week. Sources familiar with the situation at BC confirmed that Jagodzinski had been given an ultimatum by school officials and that Jagodzinski contacted members of his staff yesterday telling them he had a decision to make and that the situation would be resolved by tomorrow.

When contacted last night BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo said, "You'll have to talk to Jeff Jagodzinski. It was his initiative."

Although Jagodzinski is not regarded as the leading candidate for the Jets job, the second-year BC coach does have ties with Jets quarterback Brett Favre, who may have used his influence to get Jagodzinski on what has turned into a lengthy list of candidates.

The story began evolving several days ago when Jagodzinski's name surfaced in published reports as a candidate, which was news to BC officials, who dismissed the reports since no one from the Jets had sought permission to speak with Jagodzinski.

When school officials asked Jagodzinski about the reports, the coach told them he had been contacted by the Jets and he was considering interviewing to gauge their interest.

Jagodzinski has led BC to back-to-back Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division titles, but his recent pedigree has been in the NFL, where he had been an assistant since 1999. Included in that period were two stints with Favre in Green Bay. Jagodzinski served as the Packers' offensive coordinator in 2006 just before moving to the Heights.

While Jagodzinski has talked about having a long tenure at BC, the lure of the NFL might be too much.

Jagodzinski, who said Saturday there was "nothing" to the reports linking him to the Jets and that "no one has contacted me," didn't return phone calls from the Globe last night.

School officials may believe they are owed some loyalty after giving Jagodzinski his first head coaching job.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen, citing unnamed sources, said Jagodzinski originally was told Saturday by DeFilippo he would be fired if he went ahead with the interview. Mortensen reported that DeFilippo reiterated the school's stance yesterday but that Jagodzinski planned to go through with the interview.

The report said that if Jagodzinski, who makes more than a $1 million per season at BC, does get fired, the school will name offensive coordinator Steve Logan to replace him. Sources familiar with the situation would not confirm that chain of events, although it's likely BC would hire someone internal this late in the recruiting season.

Other possible moves could be to elevate associate head coach/offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. or defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani.