CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have scheduled an interview Tuesday with fired New York Jets coach Eric Mangini, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.

Mangini, dismissed Monday by the Jets after they collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs, will meet with Browns owner Randy Lerner in the New York area, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the interview.

Lerner has also set up an interview for Wednesday with Scott Pioli, New England's vice president of player personnel, the person said.

Pioli and Mangini both began their NFL careers in Cleveland under coach Bill Belichick and spent several seasons together with the Patriots.

Mangini, who started out as a public relations assistant with Browns in 1994, went 23-26 in three seasons and made the playoffs once with the Jets. However, after starting the season 8-3, the Jets lost to Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami in the last five weeks, costing Mangini his job.

The Browns are in complete rebuilding mode after coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage were fired following a 4-12 season that began with playoff expectations coming off a 10-win season in 2007.

Lerner was unaware of Mangini's firing when he met with reporters at Browns headquarters in Berea on Monday. But after learning of the 37-year-old's ouster in New York, Lerner indicated he would approach Mangini, who had one year remaining on his contract with the Jets.

Mangini has ties to the Cleveland area. He is the brother-in-law of Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro.

Lerner began his search hoping to lure former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher to Cleveland. But during a meeting in New York on Saturday, Cowher told Lerner he had no plans to coach in 2009 and wanted his name removed from the list of candidates.

Lerner is trying to schedule meetings with other coaching candidates, including New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who played college ball at John Carroll in Cleveland.