AL GROH ran a hard training camp and had the Jets rolling at 6-1 in 2000. The coach had their eyes rolling, too, when he had them point flashlights in groups at a screen to symbolize how a team shines brightest when everybody supplies some power.

The light died with six losses in the final nine games to blow a playoff spot.

When the Virginia job was offered, an obsessive, negative and paranoid coach, one perceived by the players to be Bill Parcells’ puppet, Groh beat the posse out of town by probably a year.

Six years later, along comes boy wonder Eric Mangini, cutting his teeth like fangs into his players during film studies, running a full-dress camp, giving the winners of scrimmages better food than the losers, teaching the millionaires life lessons with films of avalanches. The clips he showed the Jets from “March of the Penguins” demonstrated self-deprecation, a humanizing trait. It also let them know that he is aware they mock his looks and practice-fieldwaddle.

Nothing is going to get by Mangini, perhaps to the same fault as Groh if the players tune out and their batteries burn out in December. But, pending full disclosure of Mangini’s strategical skills and his ability to pick and back the right assistants – the failings of the kinder, gentler, Herm Edwards – we don’t think the kid is bound for a comeuppance. We actually think he is headed for what would be a creditable seven or eight wins.

When you look at the depth chart, count up the Jets’ surefire keepers, it’s scary. But the schedule, which includes rebuilding Buffalo (twice), Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, Green Bay plus Oakland, is not. To this stage, there are no blatant signs these players, the majority yet to establish themselves, aren’t buying in to Mangini’s obsessions. If, ultimately, they buy into his knowledge, he won’t have to tone back his act much to last a while.

Players get a bad rap for wanting the easy way out.

Shown something different, they’ll buy into good results, like the Jets got against Tennessee, like they received vs. New England, at least in the sense of being reminded that emotion can make up some of their experience and talent deficiencies.

The best coaches are not personally loved, but succeed because winning players love to be shown how.

Whether Mangini loses the hokey gimmicks or not, the Jets will look past them if they see game plans working and feel themselves improving.

The negativity wears, of course. But good players will handle it if not extended publicly, which the bland Mangini does not appear of a mind to often do.

Players also will not tune a coach out if the team leaders are tuned in, as it appears the most important Jets are.

Jonathan Vilma is all football and winning.

So is Chad Pennington, who has taken only two games to reestablish himself as the team’s soul.

Smart thing Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did, letting Pennington pick the play from among sent-in options. It takes advantage of Pennington’s brain and gives him a partnership in running the team, which a bad-cop coach can put to good use whenever he risks losing his players. A trusted quarterback is happy to play the good cop, even can pick his spots to challenge the bad cop on his teammates behalf, a healthy situation if the coach is secure about himself.

It’s too early to read that in Mangini, but this is a good situation for him to begin his evolution. He helped ensure that by picking players on character, the mold he knows works in New England. The running observations of Laveranues Coles aside, the receiver is happy to be back with a healthy Pennington and playing like a Patriot.

So far, he’s uncensored by Mangini, no football civil libertarian.

Must be that he appreciates Coles’ characterization of the coach as one the Jets had better learn to live with.