KU football coach Mark Mangino’s coaching style is put under the magnifying glass
Loads of controversy are swirling around Jayhawk nation concerning KU’s football coach, Mark Mangino.
A full-fledged investigation spear-headed by the athletic department is underway, mainly because Mangino poked a player in the chest.
I have never played on an organized football team, unless you count my years on the annual powder puff football team. However, I have been a spectator at many organized sporting events and I have seen coaches grab young men by the shirt collar and rip them a new one.
It is also customary for a coach to scream in your face like a drill sergeant, commanding you to get your head in the game. I have also seen the traditional “good game” tap on the rear, which rarely drives complaints.
With constant physical contact displayed between coaches and players, it almost seems silly to read the headline “Investigation of Mangino launched after player complains coach poked him.”
I had to re-read that headline when I first saw it published on www.kusports.com November 17. Now I could definitely see an investigation necessary if Mangino was slapping the lads around, but a poke? Well it just so happens that this poke is the catalyst to many concerns regarding Mangino’s approach to coaching.
Mangino is known for his rough and tough approach to coaching. If a football player is wishing to be pampered, the KU football field is no place for them.
KU announced November 17 that it was launching an internal investigation into non-specified personnel issues. The issues needing to be addressed are whether or not Mangino’s coaching style is too extreme and inappropriate.
So how did this issue come about? And why in the middle of a five-game losing streak for the Jayhawks?
The issue came up when an incident that happened in practice was reported to the athletic department. Athletic Director Lew Perkins followed up and met with the players to confirm this accusation against Mangino was true. The accusations being that Mangino poked senior linebacker Arist Wright in the chest, which allegedly happened several weeks ago.
Up until now, it seems as if Mangino’s players and co-workers have rallied behind him whenever an “anger management” issue arose. Supporters of Mangino simply chalked it up to be a personality trait of an intense, driven football coach. With that being said, there is a history of rage-infused outbursts.
During his first year as Kansas’ football coach, Mangino publicly apologized for his behavior during an incident at his son’s high school football game. In Mangino’s defense, he was simply a parent getting heated up at his kid’s football game. However, he is constantly representing the Jayhawks and should be mindful about public rants and uproars.
A couple years later, his name was splashed in headlines due to a post game news conference where he condemned officials for their calls in the Jayhawks’ loss to Texas.
Then in 2007, when I was a KU student, video footage flooded the Internet of Mangino and his explosion of profanity-laden phrases. Raimond Pendleton was the receiver of these hasty comments, as he dove into the end zone after a great play for the Jayhawks.
Now I am not saying these outbursts were wrong or right. Some believe aggression on the field is warranted by the players and coaches. Regardless, I am simply pointing out a pattern of Mangino’s outbursts of anger. With these outbursts, never has an investigation been conducted by the athletic department. Mangino believes it has something to do with the unexpected losing streak the Jayhawks are currently riding. According to www.kusports.com, Mangino has this to say about the investigation:
“This is what comes when things aren’t going well,” said Mangino, who added he didn’t believe an investigation would be under way if his team were 5-1 in the Big 12 instead of 1-5. “You’re going to find disgruntled people. It’s the fact of any organization, whether it’s sports-related, whether it’s corporate — any profession you’re in.”
While some players are questioning his coaching methods, others, such as Todd Reesing and Brandon McAnderson, are backing up his approach, claiming it’s simply the norm in the realm of college football.
Some former players are stepping out of the shadows, adding fuel to the fire of investigation. These players are making claims, supporting the notion that Mangino’s coaching style is unethical and inappropriate.
According to www.examiner.com, former KU wide receiver Raymond Brown told ESPN that Mangino would often “say personal, hurtful, embarrassing things in front of people.” He was quoted saying:
“I dropped a pass and [Mangino] was mad,” Brown said. “And I said, ‘Yes, sir. Yes, sir.’ The yelling didn’t bother me. But then he said, ‘Shut up!’ He said, ‘If you don’t shut up, I’m going to send you back to St. Louis so you can get shot with your homies.’ I was irate. I wanted to hurt him to be honest with you.”
Also on www.examiner.com, Brown claims a teammate had a father with alcoholism issues. The player dreamed of becoming a lawyer and “One day, [Mangino] said in front of the entire team, ‘Are you going to be a lawyer or do you want to become an alcoholic like your Dad?’” Brown said.
While a line may be divided between team members, both former and current, it’s still unclear which side of the line athletic department members fall. There is no official timeframe the investigation is to be resolved.
Leading the investigation is KU associate athletic director for risk management, Lori Williams. Williams, a former NCAA enforcement official, will be responsible for collecting information from assistant coaches and players regarding Mangino’s investigation.
According to www.kusports.com, Mangino will receive approximately $6.6 million if he is fired without cause. Contrarily, if justifications for his dismissal are revealed, he will receive nothing.
Regardless of Mangino’s future with the Jayhawks, one thing is certain. The football team has a highly anticipated game next Saturday against archrival Missouri, at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. One thing all the Jayhawks can agree on is wanting to defeat the Tigers and return to Lawrence with a victory under their belt.
About the Author
Kimberly Westphall is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas where she majored in Journalism. She recently participated in a podcast with Jerod, which will help you get to know her even better.
While at KU, she was an anchor and online web producer for Jayhawk Sports Talk. Kimberly recently made her MSF debut discussing the fight between Kansas’ basketball and football teams and also had her column about the Dallas Stars Ice Girls featured at Dallas Sports Fans.
She has a passion for fitness and is on the lookout for emerging fitness trends and workouts. Her favorite group exercise format is kickboxing, which she discussed in her first Blogging Fitness post.
When she’s not hitting up the aerobics studio both as a participant and instructor, Kimberly is training for the 2010 Washington D.C. Marathon with her best friend Jackie.
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* – Mark Mangino photo credit: BlueGraySky.com
