"I don't give interviews anymore," Kotite said from his Staten Island home. "The whole point of it is I'm not the news anymore."

Out of Football since he was fired by the Jets after going 1-15 in 1996, Kotite was polite and affable during a brief phone conversation yesterday morning.

Kotite said he spends his time these days as a "fan of all the teams" in New York and working with the March of Dimes. He said he's done a golf tournament raising money for the March of Dimes the last 21 years on Staten Island.

"It's become very close to me and my family, and that's what we do," he said. "I spend a lot of time trying to help the March of Dimes. They're really my friends. And that's what I do at this juncture."

Kotite, who was 4-28 in two years as Jets coach, plays in his share of charity tournaments. "I see a lot of my old players and coaches playing golf," he said. "It's really nice when we get to do that at all these golf tournaments."

But beyond that, he wasn't interested in talking. "I appreciate you calling," he said. "Happy New Year to you."