Mangino Makes All The Right Moves

Lzen · 01-04-2008, 02:05 PM

January 4, 2008

Jason King
Rivals.com College Football
ORANGE BOWL

MIAMI – Away from the flying oranges – away from the coaches hugging their wives and the players flexing for television cameras – Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway stood near the tunnel at Dolphins Stadium on Thursday and explained how one of the nation's worst football programs transformed into one of its best.

"This," Hemenway said after the Jayhawks beat Virginia Tech 24-21 in the Orange Bowl, "is what can happen when you hire the right people. This is what can happen when you hire the right coach."

For the past six years, no one was convinced Mark Mangino was that person.

He ended KU's eight-year bowl drought in just his second season, and people made jokes about his weight. He turned no-name, misfit recruits into all-league players but faced questions about his job security. This year's team won 11 of its 12 regular games, and pundits chalked it up to an easy schedule.

Last month – when high-profile jobs surfaced at schools such as West Virginia, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas A&M – Mangino's name was never mentioned. Not once.

Despite his success, Mark Mangino is rarely mentioned in coaching searches.
For whatever reason, no one has ever taken Mark Mangino seriously.

Now we have no choice.

Mangino is one of the best football coaches in America. "The Bear" proved it Thursday, when his Jayhawks capped off the best season in school history by beating ACC champion Virginia Tech before 74,111 fans.

Barring an Ohio State upset of LSU in Monday's national title game, Kansas, 12-1 will finish the season as one of two BCS teams (Hawaii the other) with a single loss. The Jayhawks also became the only Division I team in Sunflower State history to log 12 wins in a season.

"All the stuff our players read," Mangino said, "all the pundits banging on their desks on their TV shows, talking about how we haven't played anyone and about how we had no chance against Virginia Tech … it didn't hurt their feelings. It motivated them.

"I want to thank everyone that did that. It made my job easier."

Make no mistake, though. There was nothing easy about the task Mangino faced when he was hired to replace Terry Allen in December of 2001. Kansas had been to just two bowl games in the 20 seasons before Mangino's arrival.

Mangino has joked that, during his first few years, bus rides into Memorial Stadium on game-days were traffic-free, with the only obstacles being the joggers who trotted on the outskirts of the complex, unaware that there was a game.

Kansas went 2-10 in Mangino's first season and winless in Big 12 play. The marketing department literally gave away tickets in hopes of filling the 50,000-seat stadium more than halfway.

"Oh yeah – I remember that," said Bill Whittemore, the quarterback of that team and now a Kansas grad assistant. "It's unbelievable how far we've come. We're Orange Bowl champs. It's almost hard to fathom."

Even more amazing is that Mangino turned Kansas' program around with a group of recruits who were overlooked by the country's big-name programs. Heck, the Jayhawks haven't had a single player selected in the NFL Draft the past two seasons.

Kansas defeated Virginia Tech Thursday with a 5-foot-9 quarterback (Todd Reesing) who picked the Jayhawks over Duke. The game's MVP, cornerback Aqib Talib, would've likely ended up at Wyoming if not for Mangino's eye for talent.

A pair of true freshmen (Chris Harris and Dezmon Briscoe) were in the starting lineup. Walk-ons (Adrian Mayes and John Larson) started on the offensive and defensive lines and another (Micah Brown) played a key role on a fake punt.

"I'll tell you the truth: I'm not surprised," Mangino said. "I'd have been a fool to tell you before the season that I thought we had a chance to be ranked in the top five at the end of the year and win the Orange Bowl.

"But there is something special about this team. I knew something good was going to happen. I didn't know how good or how far we'd go. Let's just call it instincts. You get a feel for kids, and I felt pretty good about this group."

Kansas players have the same type of respect for their head coach.

"Some people either got it or they don't," Talib said. "Either you're a winner or you're not. Mangino is a winner. He's won everywhere he's been. He's going to find some way to win.

"It's like if you put Deion Sanders on the sorriest team in the league. He's still going to be Deion Sanders. (Mangino) is a good coach and he's going to find a way to win, regardless of the situation."

It's not as if Mangino hasn't had his share of setbacks. His alleged tirade against a referee at one of his son's high school football games garnered some negative publicity in 2002. He accused a Big 12 official of cheating when a pass interference call cost KU a victory over Texas in 2004.

Two summers ago the NCAA deemed that Kansas' athletic department operated with a lack of institutional control during a period that included Mangino's first 18 months on the job. Mangino was cleared of any intentional wrongdoing.

Even during the tough times, Mangino never wavered in his belief that Kansas could be more than just a basketball school. He knew he'd get things turned eventually, as long as he and his players "kept sawing wood."

"I never set these ridiculously long-term goals," Mangino said. "I hear coaches talk a lot at clinics about when they take over a program, they have a two-year plan, a five-year plan, a seven-year plan.

"I said, 'Boy, those guys are a little bit smarter than me, because I didn't do that.' I said, 'Let's take care of the present. Let's work hard every day. Let's take each task as it comes and get better all the time. If we do that, the by-product will be bowl games and championships and things of that sort.'"

Mangino might not own any national title rings like former bosses Bob Stoops and Jim Tressel. And the turnaround he's orchestrating at Kansas needs to become consistent before it can be compared to the one he helped engineer as an assistant under Bill Snyder at Kansas State.

Still, after this season, there's nothing to suggest that Mangino can't achieve feats as great as the ones accomplished by his mentors.

If not greater.

Jason King is a college football and basketball writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jason a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

KANSAS 24, VIRGINIA TECH 21
Offensive player of the game
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing bounced back from a subpar game against Missouri and threw for 227 yards and a touchdown against the country's second-ranked defense. Reesing also scored on a two-yard plunge. He was sacked four times but kept bouncing back. "I (had) pads on," Reesing said. "So it didn't hurt too bad."
Defensive player of the game
Aqib Talib garnered Orange Bowl MVP honors because of his 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. But we'll get kooky and give the award to KU defensive coordinator Bill Young, who came up with some brilliant blitz schemes that led to five sacks.
Play of the game
Trailing Virginia Tech seemed poised to tie the game when kicker Jud Dunlevy lined up for a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter. Kansas, though, came up big when Joe Mortensen came around the left end and blocked the kick. Mortensen, a linebacker, also had 5.5 tackles and a sack.
Noteworthy
KU receiver Marcus Henry finished the season with 1,014 receiving yards, becoming just the third player in school history to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier in a single season … Talib, Justin Thornton and Chris Harris all had interceptions for the Jayhawks … Former KU players Justin Hartwig and Adrian Jones – both of whom are on NFL rosters – attended the game … KU's 17 first-half points were the second most first-half points scored on Virginia Tech this season. LSU had 24 … Gale Sayers (Kansas) and Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech) served as honorary captains … ZZ Top provided the halftime entertainment.

http://kansas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=757811

jidar · 01-04-2008, 02:29 PM

Mangino is just getting it done.

DJJasonp · 01-04-2008, 02:34 PM

Rock Chalk....

But....I couldnt help think about this when reading the thread's title.

(Photoshop experts....have at it):

**doomy3** · 01-04-2008, 02:40 PM

I love Mangino. He just has "it."

kcchiefsus · 01-04-2008, 04:24 PM

It's going to be hilarious when that fat ass and his shitty football team come crashing down to earth next season and every KU queer on here is going to be left wondering, "what happened?"

**doomy3** · 01-04-2008, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

It's going to be hilarious when that fat ass and his shitty football team come crashing down to earth next season and every KU queer on here is going to be left wondering, "what happened?"

Wow, another quality MU poster. You guys should be proud.

Fat Elvis · 01-04-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomy3

I love Mangino. He just ate "it."

CoMoChief · 01-04-2008, 04:49 PM

Kansas will lose to MU again next season.

How does KU's schedule look next season? Do they play any of the big programs from the Big12 south?

**doomy3** · 01-04-2008, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Kansas will lose to MU again next season.

How does KU's schedule look next season? Do they play any of the big programs from the Big12 south?

KU plays at OU and plays UT at home.

I just love all the MU Fans' bold predictions. It's been fun reading through them all day pertaining to the "blowout" game we shouldn't have been in last night.

Deberg_1990 · 01-04-2008, 05:04 PM

The only right move he hasnt made yet is a diet of slimfast.

**Bearcat** · 01-04-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Kansas will lose to MU again next season.

How does KU's schedule look next season? Do they play any of the big programs from the Big12 south?

It rotates as a home-and-home, so they'll play Texas, OU, and Tech the next two years. They also play South Florida.

KC Jones · 01-04-2008, 07:00 PM

MU fans show once again they have all the class of a coked out 40 year old whore in a Tijuana Donkey show. (No offense intended to coked out 40 year old whores in Tijuana donkey shows)

**KcMizzou** · 01-04-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC Jones

MU fans show once again they have all the class of a coked out 40 year old whore in a Tijuana Donkey show. (No offense intended to coked out 40 year old whores in Tijuana donkey shows)

Eh, you've got your share of assholes too.

ROYC75 · 01-04-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Kansas will lose to MU again next season.

How does KU's schedule look next season? Do they play any of the big programs from the Big12 south?

I'm on record to saying they might lose 2 games, max ..........

**frazod** · 01-04-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROYC75

I'm on record to saying they might lose 2 games, max ..........

Delusional much?

I can't wait to hear your story after Texas and Oklahoma get done using KU as a chewtoy. Beyond that, you've got TT, and don't forget Missouri, and how about KState and CU, who you barely beat last year?

I'm looking forward to the 2008 Kansas reality tour.

01-04-2008, 02:05 PM
Lzen Kicking it old school Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Topeka Casino cash: $21964	Mangino Makes All The Right Moves January 4, 2008 Jason King Rivals.com College Football ORANGE BOWL MIAMI – Away from the flying oranges – away from the coaches hugging their wives and the players flexing for television cameras – Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway stood near the tunnel at Dolphins Stadium on Thursday and explained how one of the nation's worst football programs transformed into one of its best. "This," Hemenway said after the Jayhawks beat Virginia Tech 24-21 in the Orange Bowl, "is what can happen when you hire the right people. This is what can happen when you hire the right coach." For the past six years, no one was convinced Mark Mangino was that person. He ended KU's eight-year bowl drought in just his second season, and people made jokes about his weight. He turned no-name, misfit recruits into all-league players but faced questions about his job security. This year's team won 11 of its 12 regular games, and pundits chalked it up to an easy schedule. Last month – when high-profile jobs surfaced at schools such as West Virginia, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas A&M – Mangino's name was never mentioned. Not once. Despite his success, Mark Mangino is rarely mentioned in coaching searches. For whatever reason, no one has ever taken Mark Mangino seriously. Now we have no choice. Mangino is one of the best football coaches in America. "The Bear" proved it Thursday, when his Jayhawks capped off the best season in school history by beating ACC champion Virginia Tech before 74,111 fans. Barring an Ohio State upset of LSU in Monday's national title game, Kansas, 12-1 will finish the season as one of two BCS teams (Hawaii the other) with a single loss. The Jayhawks also became the only Division I team in Sunflower State history to log 12 wins in a season. "All the stuff our players read," Mangino said, "all the pundits banging on their desks on their TV shows, talking about how we haven't played anyone and about how we had no chance against Virginia Tech … it didn't hurt their feelings. It motivated them. "I want to thank everyone that did that. It made my job easier." Make no mistake, though. There was nothing easy about the task Mangino faced when he was hired to replace Terry Allen in December of 2001. Kansas had been to just two bowl games in the 20 seasons before Mangino's arrival. Mangino has joked that, during his first few years, bus rides into Memorial Stadium on game-days were traffic-free, with the only obstacles being the joggers who trotted on the outskirts of the complex, unaware that there was a game. Kansas went 2-10 in Mangino's first season and winless in Big 12 play. The marketing department literally gave away tickets in hopes of filling the 50,000-seat stadium more than halfway. "Oh yeah – I remember that," said Bill Whittemore, the quarterback of that team and now a Kansas grad assistant. "It's unbelievable how far we've come. We're Orange Bowl champs. It's almost hard to fathom." Even more amazing is that Mangino turned Kansas' program around with a group of recruits who were overlooked by the country's big-name programs. Heck, the Jayhawks haven't had a single player selected in the NFL Draft the past two seasons. Kansas defeated Virginia Tech Thursday with a 5-foot-9 quarterback (Todd Reesing) who picked the Jayhawks over Duke. The game's MVP, cornerback Aqib Talib, would've likely ended up at Wyoming if not for Mangino's eye for talent. A pair of true freshmen (Chris Harris and Dezmon Briscoe) were in the starting lineup. Walk-ons (Adrian Mayes and John Larson) started on the offensive and defensive lines and another (Micah Brown) played a key role on a fake punt. "I'll tell you the truth: I'm not surprised," Mangino said. "I'd have been a fool to tell you before the season that I thought we had a chance to be ranked in the top five at the end of the year and win the Orange Bowl. "But there is something special about this team. I knew something good was going to happen. I didn't know how good or how far we'd go. Let's just call it instincts. You get a feel for kids, and I felt pretty good about this group." Kansas players have the same type of respect for their head coach. "Some people either got it or they don't," Talib said. "Either you're a winner or you're not. Mangino is a winner. He's won everywhere he's been. He's going to find some way to win. "It's like if you put Deion Sanders on the sorriest team in the league. He's still going to be Deion Sanders. (Mangino) is a good coach and he's going to find a way to win, regardless of the situation." It's not as if Mangino hasn't had his share of setbacks. His alleged tirade against a referee at one of his son's high school football games garnered some negative publicity in 2002. He accused a Big 12 official of cheating when a pass interference call cost KU a victory over Texas in 2004. Two summers ago the NCAA deemed that Kansas' athletic department operated with a lack of institutional control during a period that included Mangino's first 18 months on the job. Mangino was cleared of any intentional wrongdoing. Even during the tough times, Mangino never wavered in his belief that Kansas could be more than just a basketball school. He knew he'd get things turned eventually, as long as he and his players "kept sawing wood." "I never set these ridiculously long-term goals," Mangino said. "I hear coaches talk a lot at clinics about when they take over a program, they have a two-year plan, a five-year plan, a seven-year plan. "I said, 'Boy, those guys are a little bit smarter than me, because I didn't do that.' I said, 'Let's take care of the present. Let's work hard every day. Let's take each task as it comes and get better all the time. If we do that, the by-product will be bowl games and championships and things of that sort.'" Mangino might not own any national title rings like former bosses Bob Stoops and Jim Tressel. And the turnaround he's orchestrating at Kansas needs to become consistent before it can be compared to the one he helped engineer as an assistant under Bill Snyder at Kansas State. Still, after this season, there's nothing to suggest that Mangino can't achieve feats as great as the ones accomplished by his mentors. If not greater. Jason King is a college football and basketball writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jason a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast. KANSAS 24, VIRGINIA TECH 21 Offensive player of the game Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing bounced back from a subpar game against Missouri and threw for 227 yards and a touchdown against the country's second-ranked defense. Reesing also scored on a two-yard plunge. He was sacked four times but kept bouncing back. "I (had) pads on," Reesing said. "So it didn't hurt too bad." Defensive player of the game Aqib Talib garnered Orange Bowl MVP honors because of his 60-yard interception return for a touchdown. But we'll get kooky and give the award to KU defensive coordinator Bill Young, who came up with some brilliant blitz schemes that led to five sacks. Play of the game Trailing Virginia Tech seemed poised to tie the game when kicker Jud Dunlevy lined up for a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter. Kansas, though, came up big when Joe Mortensen came around the left end and blocked the kick. Mortensen, a linebacker, also had 5.5 tackles and a sack. Noteworthy KU receiver Marcus Henry finished the season with 1,014 receiving yards, becoming just the third player in school history to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier in a single season … Talib, Justin Thornton and Chris Harris all had interceptions for the Jayhawks … Former KU players Justin Hartwig and Adrian Jones – both of whom are on NFL rosters – attended the game … KU's 17 first-half points were the second most first-half points scored on Virginia Tech this season. LSU had 24 … Gale Sayers (Kansas) and Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech) served as honorary captains … ZZ Top provided the halftime entertainment. http://kansas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=757811
Posts: 28,529

01-04-2008, 02:29 PM	#2
jidar MVP Join Date: May 2005 Location: a Casino cash: $25219	Mangino is just getting it done.
Posts: 5,500

01-04-2008, 02:34 PM	#3
DJJasonp My work speaks for itself!!! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $908395	Rock Chalk.... But....I couldnt help think about this when reading the thread's title. (Photoshop experts....have at it): Attached Thumbnails __________________ Sex Panther - Said to work 60% of the time....every time!
Posts: 3,371

01-04-2008, 02:40 PM	#4
doomy3 Supporter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Lee's Summit, MO Casino cash: $966054	I love Mangino. He just has "it."
Posts: 12,191

01-04-2008, 04:24 PM	#5
kcchiefsus Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $44263	It's going to be hilarious when that fat ass and his shitty football team come crashing down to earth next season and every KU queer on here is going to be left wondering, "what happened?"
Posts: 2,228

01-04-2008, 04:49 PM	#8
CoMoChief The Revolution Has Begun Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $123283	Kansas will lose to MU again next season. How does KU's schedule look next season? Do they play any of the big programs from the Big12 south? __________________ 2013 Adopt-A-Chief: Eric Berry #29
Posts: 28,300

01-04-2008, 05:04 PM	#10
Deberg_1990 MVP Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $138549	The only right move he hasnt made yet is a diet of slimfast. __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 43,480

01-04-2008, 07:00 PM	#12
KC Jones Genious Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Colorado Casino cash: $45470	MU fans show once again they have all the class of a coked out 40 year old whore in a Tijuana Donkey show. (No offense intended to coked out 40 year old whores in Tijuana donkey shows) __________________ re-sign: to sign again resign: to withdraw from employment
Posts: 5,125

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode