Mangino's Poke May Have Given Kansas Excuse to Shove Him Out

Kansas has launched an investigation into the alleged abusive behavior of football coach Mark Mangino, and some close to the program believe this could be the end of his eight-year tenure.

According to anonymous source reports out of Kansas Tuesday night, Mangino poked senior linebacker Arist Wright in the chest during the walk-through last Friday prior to Saturday's road game against Colorado. The incident was reported to athletic director Lew Perkins, who then met with the entire football team Monday.

Suddenly, Mangino is being painted as an oversized coach with an even bigger anger problem. But some people close to the program and familiar with Mangino's brash style of coaching are questioning the timing of the reaction.

Mangino has been largely successful in his eight-year tenure at Kansas, but this season has been a major disappointment after a 5-0 start. The Kansas Jayhawks have lost five straight and at 5-5 (1-5 in the Big 12) must scratch out one win either Saturday at No. 2 Texas or in the regular-season finale to be bowl eligible.

"Coach Mangino is certainly not a person who is afraid to scream and yell," a source familiar with the program and Mangino and his coaching style said to FanHouse on Wednesday. "The funny thing is this is no different than the previous seven years, so what's the big deal now?"

That source speculated this is an excuse to set the stage for Mangino's removal this season. Mangino hinted as much Tuesday when asked by reporters if he was concerned he had lost his players in the fallout of this incident.

"Not one bit," Mangino said. "I may have lost some of the people around here, but not my players."

Perkins is believed to be chief among those people. A source indicated Perkins may have been looking for a reason to get rid of Mangino and a pattern of physical and verbal abuse along with a 1-5 league mark could provide all the reason needed to get rid of the coach who is credited with turning Kansas around. Mangino's current contract runs until 2012.

Speculation is Perkins would target UConn coach Randy Edsall as his next coach. Perkins hired Edsall when he was athletic director of the Huskies athletic department from 1990 to 2003 before arriving at Kansas where Mangino was already in place.

"I know there are people in the athletic department looking to make their own hire," a source said. "Maybe this is it."

In the meantime, Mangino and his coaching style have received much conversation these past couple days. A warm and friendly person in public, apparently Mangino can be quite different behind closed doors with his team.

Mangino, by all accounts, can be a tough coach. But how that plays with players and parents seems to be quite varied.

"He's a coach so, of course, he is going to yell," former linebacker and captain Nick Reid said to FanHouse. "There is not a coach in the country that doesn't yell. That's just part of the game. You have to have thick skin to be a collegiate athlete."

Penny Reid, Nick's mom, said she is certain her son was yelled at by Mangino during his four years but said it was all in helping to make Nick a better person and football player.

"That's OK, it's part of it," said Penny Reid, whose son was one of Mangino's initial recruits and played through the 2005 season. "It's just part of it and you just can't take it personally. You are talking about kids who are playing a football game where they are coached to knock somebody's head off or do whatever the catch phrase is at the time. It's rough. Football is a really rough game."

Another parent, who did not wish to be identified, told FanHouse her son's experience wasn't all that great though he was a former defensive starter.

"I do not wish to throw Mark Mangino under the bus, but I will say I think he is probably very hard to play for," she said.

She went on to say that assistant coaches often stepped in to shield the players from Mangino's wrath. Apparently former defensive coordinator Bill Young acted as the go-between for his players. Young left after the 2007 Orange Bowl season for Miami and after a year returned to the Big 12 to head Oklahoma State's defense.

"One thing I feel was real helpful when [my son] was there was when Bill Young was there, it was very nice to have that buffer between coach Mangino and [my son]," the mother said. "He was mostly around Bill Young and he was excellent and he was a wonderful coach and we think the world of him, of course.

"If you are going to report that somebody poked you in the chest, then I'm sure every coach in the country should be reported. This is so insignificant and minor, it blows my mind that somebody would even bring that up."
-- Former Kansas player Nick Reid "I think having the assistants around kind of buffers them from what they may or may not experience with Mark Mangino."

Nick Reid didn't say whether or not he was ever personally touched by Mangino as Wright reportedly was Friday, but he said a poke in the chest really isn't a big deal.

"If you are going to report that somebody poked you in the chest, then I'm sure every coach in the country should be reported," Nick Reid said. "This is so insignificant and minor, it blows my mind that somebody would even bring that up."

Former KU running back Jocques Crawford, who was kicked off the team this past summer, discussed the abuse he received from Mangino during his year with the program on Twitter. Crawford told blogger Jack Nealy he was verbally and mentally abused by Mangino during his time with the Jayhawks.

But Nick Reid describes his experience with Mangino as being positive. Reid also indicated this may be the result of a season that has failed to meet the expectations of many inside of the program.

"He's a great coach. I have the utmost respect for him. He's tough-nosed, but what coach isn't. If you are going to be a great coach and have a great team, you have to be tough with the guys. I don't see anything wrong with it. I had no problems with him the four years I was there, none of the guys I played with had a problem with him.

"I really don't know where this is coming from. I understand they are having a rough season. That happens. That's sports for you, look at OU, USC. They are not having the greatest season but you don't see their players running off saying things about the coach.

"There are ups and downs. Sure the season hasn't played out like everyone would have liked it to, but I don't think it's Coach Mangino's fault. There have been some injuries and other things have happened."