FOOTBALL

REPORT: MANGINI ACCEPTS OFFER TO BECOME NEW JETS COACH The Jets wrapped up their search for a new coach yesterday when Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini accepted the club’s offer to replace Herm Edwards, according to a report onESPN.com. Mangini, who will become the youngest head coach in the NFL at 34 (he turns 35 on Thursday), and the Jets were finalizing the deal late last night. Mangini, a protege of Patriots coach Bill Belichick – Mangini has spent 10 of his 11 years as an NFL assistant working with him – emerged as the leading candidate last week. Regarded as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game, Mangini was never more than an NFL position coach until this season, when he was promoted to coordinator to replace Romeo Crennel, who departed to become coach of the Cleveland Browns.

NFL ADMITS REFEREE ERRED ON POLAMALU CALL The NFL said the referee made a mistake: Troy Polamalu caught the ball. The league acknowledged yesterday that referee Pete Morelli erred when he overturned on replay Polamalu’s interception of a Peyton Manning pass Sunday in the playoff game between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Mike Pereira, the league’s vice president of officiating, said in a statement that Morelli should have let the call on the field stand.

“He maintained possession long enough to establish a catch,” Pereira said. “Therefore, the replay review should have upheld the call on the field that it was a catch and fumble.”

HOCKEY

BLUE JACKETS SQUEAK PAST RANGERS Rick Nash’s breakaway goal late in the third period lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory over the Rangers last night in Columbus.

Marcel Hossa, who was benched for the Rangers’ previous six games, tied it 6:56 into the third with his second goal of the game. But New York dropped its second straight following a seven-game point streak. Jason Chimera,David Vyborny, and Jody Shelley scored for the Blue Jackets, who are 7-3-1 in their last 11 games – the team’s best stretch of the season. Columbus, which entered as the NHL’s lowest-scoring club, has netted 22 goals in five games. Jason Ward also scored and Dominic Moore had three assists for New York. Jaromir Jagr was pointless on three shots for the Rangers.

BASEBALL

WILLIS AGREES TO ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH MARLINS Dontrelle Willis avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a $4.35 million, one-year contract with the Florida Marlins yesterday. Willis, 24, went 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA last season and finished second to St. Louis’s Chris Carpenter in NL Cy Young Award balloting.