Thom McDaniels says Josh has “gone home again,” talks about his old pupil Mario Manningham

The most conflicted man at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday was Thom McDaniels. The prep coaching legend in Ohio was clearly rooting on his son Josh, the Patriots offensive coordinator-to-be, during Super Bowl XLVI. And he was cheering for his old pupil, Patriots CB Antwaun Molden, who he coached at Warren Harding. But the player who made the game’s biggest play was Giants WR Mario Manningham, another of his former stars from Warren Harding (OH) High. McDaniels called Manningham the best prep receiver he’s ever coached, and this was the topic of my story in today’s Herald. Thom’s allegiances were clear… kinda. “I wanted Mario to play well and I wanted the Patriots to win,” the elder McDaniels told me yesterday. “I didn’t get what I wanted, and that’s life. That’s what I wanted, and I didn’t get what I wanted.” McDaniels, who is between jobs now in Ohio, wouldn’t say much about Josh’s return to New England. He knows how the Patriots are, and as ...