Peace out Mangino

Keeping the peace is exactly what the KU athletic department is aiming for. Controversy has been erupting in Jayhawk Nation, surrounding a high profile employee: Mr. Mark Mangino.

Mangino’s status is now former employee, as he recently resigned as the KU head football coach.

He may have turned in his headset, but the rumors, speculations and chatter about his resignation is “all the buzz” on the streets of Lawrence, KS.

Although Mangino is notorious for his rage and thunderous outbursts, his departure from KU was rather low-key. KU’s Athletic Director, Lew Perkins hosted a meeting with the football players and assistant coaches Thursday evening, informing them of Mangino’s decision to resign.

The university then issued a news release informing the rest of the world of the activity. The release indicated that an agreement had been reached on a buyout that would pay Mangino an undisclosed amount of money. He was on track to make approximately $6.6 million through 2012.

As mentioned in my last post about Mangino, his original contract warranted him to being owed all of the remaining money if he was “fired without cause.” If there was just reasoning for his dismissal, he would part with absolutely nothing.

Mangino does not see himself as the menacing monster the public makes him out to be. Although this conception is fueled by factual depictions of inappropriate rants, snide comments and screaming brigades, Mangino claims he is one of the more pleasant people in football. No offense, but I pity the chaps who have to deal with his version of unpleasant. Yikes! Talk about a drill sergeant cracking the whip!

Although claims have been leaping out from the shadows left and right, beating down Mangino’s coaching style, Perkins did recognize the football program’s improvements under Mangino’s leadership. Mangino finishes his coaching career at KU with a 50-48 record, two wins behind former coach A.R. Kennedy’s school record. Perkins shied away from the idea that Mangino had been bullied out of his job by the university’s administration.

According to kusports.com, “I didn’t make a change,” Perkins said. “Coach resigned.” However, when Perkins was asked whether Mangino was provided an option to stay, Perkins declined to comment.

The outcome may not be the most positive for Mangino, but he has got to breathe a sigh of relief. Who wants perform their job, knowing they are under a huge magnifying glass being investigated by administration? If I had someone breathing down my back at work, I would be self-conscious and my performance would obviously be less than par. Needless to say, morale was down as allegations of Mangino’s ill treatment surfaced and the unfortunate losing streak ensued. We all saw the resignation coming; we were just waiting for the bomb to drop.

Still listed on KUathletics.com is Mangino’s lengthy list of coaching accomplishments:

• Four bowl games in a six-year span (2003-present). That represents one-third of KU’s bowl appearances in just six years (eight bowl games in the previous 56 years since KU’s first bowl game in 1948).
• Bowl games in consecutive years (2007 and 2008) for the first time in school history.
• Three consecutive bowl victories for the first time in school history.
• Eight wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1908 and 1909.
• Twenty wins in a two-year period, the most in consecutive years in school history (won 18 in 2006-07 and 1904-05).
• Six wins in four straight seasons (2005-08) for the first time since 1903-06.
• Combined 33-17 record in the last four years for the most wins in a four-year period.
• Set home attendance average records in each of the last four seasons.
• Returned to the national polls in 2007, the Jayhawks’ first ranking since 1996.
• Were ranked in a school-record 19 consecutive Associated Press polls from 2007 through half of 2008.

Mangino fans may be mourning his absence from the field, but the show must go on. Filling his shoes, the assistant coaches will have their chance to call the big plays, as they will be divvying up the head coach tasks. Of course this is temporary, so who will lead the Jayhawks in seasons to come?

As of Thursday evening, Perkins claimed he hadn’t spoken with any potential candidates for the job. Time is ticking and assumptions are being brewed around Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and Houston’s Kevin Sumlin. A few other names are being brought up in the mix; now Jayhawk football fans have to wait in anticipation to see what coach’s name will be sprinkled on their “Our Coach” t-shirts. What will happen to all those Mangino “Our coach can eat yours” tees?

The Lawrence Journal World reported on Bill Self’s (KU basketball head coach) reaction to Mangino’s resignation:

“I haven’t spoken with him yet. I’m sure I will at some point in time — soon I hope,” Self said Friday in Allen Fieldhouse. “That’s obviously a unique situation. I don’t know if there are any winners in the situation. I certainly feel bad for Mark and his staff from a personal standpoint. There’s no question about it.

“I think all coaches always feel bad when a situation like that occurs. I think that’s the natural reaction. On the flip side, I have total faith in our administration as well. I hope somehow it can be a win/win for everybody certainly. I don’t know if that’s the case or will be the case. I think only time will tell. I certainly respect the job Mark and his staff have done. There’s no question about that.”

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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

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