Kansas Jayhawks Football

I'm not against any of the other articles that have been written on Houston Nutt's potential interest in the University of Kansas or vice-versa.

I simply thought it was time to clarify that any such notions were probably done before they ever really started, in retrospect. 

The only source that released any names whatsoever, The University Daily Kansan, did not even have Nutt's name listed among Perkins' targets.  A move from Ole Miss to Kansas probably means less money, worse recruiting and facilities, and less potential for big publicity.

This is not to say such a move couldn't have happened. 

He's the caliber of coach that could have accepted a few less dollars while, thanks to a lax schedule and some decent leftover talent from the Mangino regime, pulling out six or seven wins next season and looking like a hero before moving on to bigger, better things (not to mention, more dough).

In fact, with all due respect to Mr. Nutt, that seems almost exactly like something he would have done, doesn't it?

I do want to know where the rumors originated, because that would answer a few questions for everyone.

Maybe it started in Arkansas, where it might have simply come up to distract Nutt and his Rebels before the Cotton Bowl, or even wishful thinking in that he might leave the SEC.

Perhaps it started in Kansas, just like those I heard of Jim Harbaugh, Charlie Strong, Brent Venables, and even Bobby Bowden that popped up.  I don't care if other people think they were complete crap; I refuse to fault Jayhawk fans for such speculations.  It's harmless, and looking around at the coolest options brings a lighter mood to the current grid-iron depression in Kansas.

The rumor could have possibly even started from Houston Nutt himself.  The way the media is, he could have let the name Kansas slip once and have it turned into a secret interview with Lew Perkins by every sports columnist from Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico.

Even more interesting yet, what if letting his "interest" in Kansas slip out was on purpose?  Maybe Nutt is simply interested in garnering himself a few more dollars next season, and what a better way to get Ole Miss to dip into it's checkbook than by making himself a hot commodity?

I really don't think Nutt's a bad guy, and he's a quality (not superb) football coach.  It just so happens that he, and some of his decisions, attract a little extra drama than do most coaches' activities.

That's all this is, too.  Drama following a coach who attracts it like ramen noodles do a poor college student.

Maybe there was truth to all the talk.  Then again, maybe there was no interest at all from either side.

I guess my point is that I'm glad it doesn't matter anymore, because, thankfully, all talks of Houston Nutt and Kansas appear to be done.

I, at least, am thankful.  Sure Nutt is a good coach, and many people would tell me that as a measly Kansas fan I should be grateful for even the mildest speculation over a head-man of his caliber.

However, I would rather promote defensive coordinator Clint Bowen to head coach than hire Nutt.  First of all, at least Bowen would have a lesser negative effect on the defense.  Secondly, Bowen would not be likely not have many other suitors to distract Kansas.  Thirdly, Kansas would get exactly what it payed for.

No, I don't think Nutt would have been any good for Kansas anyway.  Lew Perkins, I think, would much rather have a coach he can hire, treat well, and forget about for the next 10 years while he continues fortifying his basketball team.

I don't think that I, as a Jayhawk fan, want Nutt around either.  I don't want to worry each and every day about the next big story following him around or constantly be wondering where he'd be off to next, leaving Kansas in yet another hole.

But enough talk about Houston Nutt, because I hope it's done, and I hope this is the last article concerning him that I ever see on a Kansas page.  Good luck in the Cotton Bowl, Ole Miss.

On a side note, a source very close to the football team tells me that the interest between Turner Gill and Kansas seems mutual, and that he is Kansas' current prime target as of this evening, as far as he (the source) knew.

Meanwhile, the letter sent from the juniors to Kansas fans tells me (literally) that they are optimistic simply to start over and move forward from there.

Whoever takes over at Kansas will not only inherit some youthful talent, but as demonstrated by such a letter, some maturity and leadership as well. 

I'm not about to build up any major expectations for the Jayhawks next season, but I can't help but be proud of how well the team seems to be handling the tumultuous situation, and that the future seniors are taking this team under their wing.

Way to go, Jayhawks.

I don't think there's any real way to organize everything running through my mind concerning Kansas Football as a result of the past two weeks.

But I suppose I'll try to do it anyway.

So in no particular order, here are some thoughts that have plagued me throughout the week...

10) Dezmon Briscoe going pro...

I did predict this at one point during the season, and still think that, with a new coach, quarterback, and system on the way, that this was the right decision.  I always held out a touch of hope, though, that Kansas' dismal end to the season might keep him around.

I think, due to issues with fumbles, drops, and speed, he could land high in the third round.  Briscoe doesn't have excellent potential, but seeing him become a productive number three receiver over time would be no surprise.

9) Mark Mangino's future...

I've said before that I don't expect Mangino to retire from football.  He's up there in years and has enough money to go around, but may want one more chance before he gets too big and/or old.

I still like the idea of his potential as an offensive coordinator somewhere like Kansas State under his mentor Bill Snyder (not saying it's a possibility, just a thought).  I'm just not sure he's got enough left to resurrect any small program that would hire him.

8) Opportunities Kansas provides...

It seems like everyone is simply ready to dismiss Kansas as a nobody again.  I just wonder why Kansas is apparently such an unattractive destination?  The Big 12 North provides BCS quality but with a wide-open top.  Wichita and Kansas City become better recruiting destinations each year.  Lew Perkins could pay big (I'm not sure he will).  Don't forget, there's talent on this team, too.

It's not ideal for the best of names. To the right coach, though (i.e. Mangino), Kansas could be a prime, career-sort of destination.

7) The candidates...

The University Daily Kansan has released a list of eight likely candidates for Kansas, including names from Fedora, Cromwell, Holtz, Edsall, and Fullmer to Harbaugh and Veneables, however unlikely the chances.

Most notably, several sources say Kansas and Lew Perkins are most interested in and have possibly already interviewed Buffalo head coach Turner Gill.

6) The Turner Gill bio..

Gill is only 20-30 overall with a 14-18 conference record in four seasons at the University of Buffalo.  While I, like many, am not particularly impressed by such a resume, it should be noted that Buffalo is not the best place around to coach.

Gill, a former Nebraska quarterback, is an offensive minded guy and brought Buffalo from the deepest pits of NCAA football to respectability at least , and because of an only so-so 2009 season, his price tag may not be too bad either.

5) What Gill would mean for Kansas

I've had my bits about Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warriner, but something tells me he may look good next to a guy like Turner Gill.  Kale Pick would certainly benefit from the presence of Gill, and the talent on offense is there to be the kind of team both Gill and Kansas seem to like.

The only thing I don't really like about Gill is that I expected a bit more out of his Bulls this season, and that I think part of the reason for a hire like this concerns the afore-mentioned price tag.  That's not good reasoning if you ask me.

4) Clint Bowen...

Call it 'looking for a reason', 'holding a grudge', or anything else, but if Turner Gill comes, then Clint Bowen has to go.  Let Louie Matsakis, a scout team favorite, focus on that group, Bowen take a pay-cut to handle the special teams like he used to, and use the money you've saved on Gill to get a real defensive coordinator

No offense to Gill, but his experience with defense is not suitable for Kansas, and Bowen couldn't even handle the defense properly with Bill Miller at his side.

3) The other staff members...

Just a few questions I have that maybe readers can answer for me...

Would Turner Gill or whichever coach accepts our position bring their own assistants and staff?  What happens to Kansas' staff?

Also, David Beatty, Bill Miller, and Clint Bowen are the current interim coaches.  Why isn't Ed Warriner, a finalist for assistant coach of the year, part of that group?  Is it a reason personal to Warriner, or to Perkins?

2) The recruits...

Speaking of staff, what happens to their individual recruits?  And what's happening to the young men who originally committed to Mark Mangino?

I have part of that answer.  I've heard rumors that JuCo cornerback verbal commit Dave Clark and high school wide-out Keeston Terry aren't so solid in their verbal commitments to Kansas any longer.  On the other hand, a few guys like Hutch High defensive end Geneo Grissom have actually reconfirmed their commitment status.

1) The outlook on next season...

I know it's a long ways off, and the hardwood Jayhawks look great, don't they?  But I still have a hard time not getting a little excited for the 2010 grid-iron group at Kansas, even if only to see what happens.

There are few names I'm going to keep an eye on in the summer in particular that I expect Kansas football fans to get a little excited for as well.

Tanner Hawkinson (LT): Just imagine what a year of experience and an extra summer of work will do for the quickly-improving young blind-sider.

Huldon Tharp (OLB), Lubbock Smith (S): Despite Kansas' struggles defensively through the final seven games, these two freshman made a name for themselves.

Kale Pick (QB): The main attraction of Turner Gill at KU, to me, is what he could do with a kid like Kale Pick.  Good speed and a formidable arm are just about all Gill would need to get a lot of success out of the most important position in football.

Hopefully the next few weeks will yield some answers to some of these important questions, but until then, all we can do is wait patiently. 

In the meantime, Bill Self and the basketball team had better make Kansas proud, or there could be a university-wide, athletics-induced depression in Lawrence, Kansas.

So, you thought when Mark Mangino resigned that the circus surrounding the Kansas Jayhawks' program was over?  Wrong.

Original reports out of Lawrence after Mangino resigned was that Lew Perkins, the Kansas athletic director, was targeting Standford's Jim Harbaugh.  Those reports fizzled as it came out that Harbaugh was waiting for an NFL gig. 

Then it was announced that Perkins was flying to New York City to interview Buffalo's Turner Gill. This news made sense. Gill is an excellent coach and not a reach for Kansas to hire. The prospect of the respectable Turner Gill becoming the next coach at Kansas got rained on this afternoon, however.

An Arkansas radio station and the Kansas City Star are now reporting that Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt is on Perkins' short list and that Nutt is actually interested in the Kansas job.

Nutt has been at Ole Miss for two years now, after coaching at Arkansas for 10 years.  He has won the SEC coach of the year award three times (2001, 2006 and 2008) and taken the Rebels to Cotton Bowl berths in each of the last two seasons. 

His interest in coaching in the Big 12 is possibly partly sentimental, as he was a quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys close to 30 years ago.

This news strikes me as bizarre. Nutt is making more at Ole Miss, over two and a half million, than Mark Mangino did at Kansas before he got fired. Also, not many people in college football would think Kansas is a better job than Ole Miss. 

That said, Nutt has a history of involvement in nutty decisions and betrayed loyalties.  Pardon the pun. His last years at Arkansas had more drama than a Lifetime channel movie. No doubt, as this news breaks in Oxford, Mississippi, Nutt is going to find himself the center of drama once again.  One almost has to wonder if he likes it that way.

Nutt is a big name and it would be a hire for Perkins that would create lots of interest at Kansas. That said, if you are a Jayhawks fan you really have to wonder how long Nutt would last at Kansas before he inexplicably picked up and moved on again? One year? Two Years? We'll have to wait and see.

Does Mark Mangino have a future in college football?

It's hard to imagine Mangino, who has been a successful coach in the Big 12 for over a decade now, giving up on coaching at the age of 53.

Many voices in the media are saying that Mangino's career is kaput.   While it is unclear, it seems likely that at least, in part, Mangino's public and controversial firing at Kansas was because of alleged verbal and physical abuse of players.  However, we do not know if that is actually the case.  The decision was announced without a news conference, and Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins refuses to speak about the firing at all for legal reasons.

As the old mantra goes though, most people believe that where there is smoke there is fire.  Mangino, the 2007 College Football Head Coach of the Year, has definitely taken a public relations hit.

If Mangino does come back to the college game he will not be the first shamed coach to make his way back to campus.  Remember, Mike Price was let go at Alabama before he ever coached a game for allegedly checking into a hotel room with a stripper. 

No doubt, Price and Tiger Woods could cry each other a river about their somewhat similar public humiliations.  Price sat out a year after being embarrassed and then went to UTEP, where he just completed his sixth season as head coach.

George O'Leary taught us all a lesson about lying a few years back too.  O'Leary left Georgia Tech to take over at Notre Dame but never coached a game after misstatements were discovered on his resume.

I remember being amazed when this story broke that major program coaching candidates actually submitted resumes.  O'Leary spent two years as an NFL assistant after his firing before becoming the head coach at Central Florida, where he's now been for six seasons.

Both O'Leary and Price never regained their high stature in college football it can be argued.  UCF and UTEP are definite downgrades from Alabama and Notre Dame, but they didn't end up living the rest of their lives on a desert island either.  In fact, you could argue they both did themselves a favor by leaving behind those high pressure jobs for more stable positions at lesser schools.

There are a couple head coaching vacancies that Mark Mangino would be a good fit for this year, including spots at Youngstown State where Mangino is an alumnus and Akron.

For my two cents though, I have a hard time seeing Mangino not turning back up in the Big 12.

As you could tell by the number of Big 12 coaches who rushed to Mangino's defense in the last month or so, including Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Mike Leach, and Bill Snyder, he is a man not without significant friends or respect in the conference.

Before Mangino became the Kansas head coach, he was voted in 2000 the nation's top assistant coach and given the Frank Broyles Award for his role as Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator during the Sooner's National Championship run.

Mangino has some impressive awards on his trophy shelf.  Assistant Coach of the Year (2000), Coach of the Year (2007), a National Championship and an Orange Bowl victory.  None of these awards however, are as impressive as Mangino's turn around of a moribund Kansas Jayhawks football program.  It was nothing short of incredible.

Mangino would be a great pick-up for many Big 12 programs as an Offensive Coordinator or Co-Coordinator.  Mangino worked at Oklahoma and Kansas State as an assistant before he came to Kansas.  Both of those schools could benefit from having Mangino return to their staffs in some capacity to give their offenses a jolt. 

Mangino knows the Big 12 inside and out thanks to his experience in both the North and South divisions.  He would be a great resource to have on the sideline just for that alone and not simply the fact that he is widely regarded as one of the smarter offensive minds in the league.

I think Oklahoma State would be an interesting fit for Mangino.

Mike Gundy, who has been the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator for eight seasons (he was their offensive coordinator before he became head coach in 2005), could benefit from hiring an offensive coordinator and focusing on his head coaching duties.  The Cowboys' underachieved on the offensive side of the ball this year.

Surely, it would be nice to have a someone who worked with Bob Stoops for years leading the offense into next year's Bedlam game. 

It's a long shot, but if Kansas legend and current Texas A & M offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell left to become head coach at Kansas, who would be a better fit to replace him than Mangino?  Last year we saw a coaching swap between Iowa State and Auburn that actually seemed to pay dividends for both schools.

The biggest questions with all this speculation, though, is whether or not Mangino would even want to work next year or just kick back and enjoy the golden parachute settlement Kansas probably rewarded him with.  It's possible that Mangino would choose that route, but I don't think it's likely given his drive and personality.

Whatever happens with Mangino next season and years after, I think it's safe to say that his hiatus from college football will not be permanent. 

The Kansas Jayhawks (finally) decided that enough was enough with coach Mark Mangino and made the right call to show him the door. It’s hard to argue with a program that's firing a coach when they have: top 25 talent, a Heisman level quarterback, and a down conference, however they still manage to finish below .500 and miss a bowl game. The thing that really killed Mangino was the recent reports that he was verbally abusive to players; if those two things hadn’t happened at the same time he would still have a job. I used to love Mangino-he turned a horrible program that I loved into a national contender, brought KU a top 50 recruiting class for the first time ever, and won an orange bowl (they got screwed that year and should have played in the title game, how does a 3 loss LSU get ranked higher than a 1 loss KU team?). If you asked me a year or two ago what I thought about Mangino I would have told you something along the lines of him being the chosen one or a spot of light in this dark, dark world. 
So what is next for Mangino? I think some good jobs would be: 

1. Back to coordinator at a D1 school like Notre Dame. I think he would be a great choice for the new coach at ND (Bryan Kelly) because the biggest problem with Weis was that he wasn’t a fiery leader and wouldn’t get in your face - so why not get someone who got thrown out of his last school for being too aggressive and in your face (also called verbally abusive but whatever)?

2. Head coach at a small school. I think the coordinator route is better for him and more likely, but something tells me that if he gets an opportunity to be a head coach anywhere, he is going to take it. I just don’t see how he could look a mom in the eyes and say, "let your kid come play for me, I’ll take care of him after what he did at KU." I have no reason to think this, but I bet he gets an interview at Virginia, but I don’t know if he is what they are looking for.

3. Coordinator or assistant coach on a bad NFL team. I think it would be amazing if he got hired by the Browns so that we could have Mangino and Mangini on the same team; we could say that the coaches there were mangeniuses and think about it how much worse could the Browns get? They have no place to go but up. And on a side note, Al Davis is crazy enough to hire Mangino just because he’s tough.

So where does Kansas go for their next coach? Some reports say that they are going to go for a small name because of a possible buy-out. They’ll have to give up Mangino, but with the verbal abuse thing they can say he was “let go with cause” and if they do that and can prove it in court then they don’t owe him jack squat. So, I hope and think they will go for a big name that is going to make a splash and get some attention heading to KU. The only problem with that is if they get a huge name, the boosters are going to have to come up with big bucks. Also, KU is a basketball school and they might not be as willing to give up money for a dwindling football program. Here is the list of coaches I think and hope they will look at (listed in order of who I want most).

1. Jim Harbaugh: he is supposedly at the top of the list of people they want to bring in. He would be a big name for that program; he is exactly what they need and if they can get him - they need to get him.

Reasons he would come: his wife is from Kansas, KU has slightly worse academic standards than Stanford, which would make it easier to recruit top notch athletes, and he is maybe the only candidate that the Jayhawks are willing to shell out big bucks for.

Why he wouldn’t come: Notre Dame is going to come calling and that is a far more storied program, where he could become a national icon at, he has a good thing at Stanford (they are probably a better team than KU is), and why would someone leave beautiful northern California for Kansas? 

2. Charlie Weis: I think I am the only one that thinks this could happen, but I think it would be an amazing choice. He will feel free of pressure after being at Notre Dame. He is a huge name that would bring some recruits with just his name; he is also an offensive genius, which would be able to work with the players in place now at Kansas. Kansas has already proven they like coaches with a little more to love if you get what I’m saying.

Reasons he’d come: He won’t have many - if any - head coaching offers from a good program, fans would be nicer and more forgiving than the fans at ND, and it would make me happy. Plus I bet he looks good in KU colors.

Why he wouldn’t: he just wouldn’t need the money, he is going to make bank from getting canned at ND, and he is going to get lots of offers to be an NFL offensive coordinator.

3. Turner Gill: I LOVE Turner Gill; how he hasn’t gotten picked up by a good school yet is beyond me. He made something out of Buffalo - not the Bills - the University of Buffalo. If I’m KU and can’t get Weis or Harbaugh I would lock up Gill before someone else does.

Why he’d come: He has a daughter that goes to KU - HELLO, what more of a sign do you want, he is a former big 12 stud, and he loves the Midwest.

Why he wouldn’t: I really have no idea why he wouldn’t; the only thing I can think of would be if he is holding out for a bigger job. 

4. Chris Peterson: With Todd Reesing and Desmond Briscoe both leaving, the Kansas offense is going to need some new things going for it - Peterson's system is full of quirky gadget plays and it seems to work on everyone. He has proved year in and year out that he can hold up under pressure and can win the big game. A Peterson hiring would give Sooner fans a fiesta bowl flashback and they would all pee their pants and know that Kansas is nobody to be taken lightly.

Why he’d come: Peterson gets the shaft every year for not being in a good conference so being in the big 12 could be all he needs to reach his BCS dreams, and if he can recruit at Boise State he can get better players at a major program.

Why he wouldn’t: He's got a good thing going at Boise, he could be a hot item if the Broncos do well in the fiesta bowl vs. TCU, and  he has no Midwest experience and I’m not sure if that will affect him at all.

5. Randy Edsall: This is what Kansas will probably end up getting. He is boys with the current AD Perkins and they used to work together at Uconn before Perkins got to Kansas. The fact that he is such a boring choice is what turns me off but he actually is a pretty dang good coach. He made Uconn a big east contender and so he will know what it’s like to work with a school that wants to give a large part of their money to basketball.

Why he’d come: KU has a better program with a better chance of getting some BCS love, he loves Perkins, and he runs a system that can work with the talent already in place.

Why he wouldn’t: let’s be honest if it’s offered to him - he is coming.

6. Mike Stoops: This is way out of left field, but this would be in a word - awesome. Imagine Mike and Bob Stoops in the same state. Brothers generally hate each other anyways and want to prove they are better than the other one, so why not throw that into the big 12? Arizona has slowly but surely been becoming a good football program so why not stick it to them for beating Kansas in the basketball championship game by stealing their coach (yes I know that happened more than ten years ago I’m still bitter I cried that night)

Why he’d come: To stick it to his brother, he is from the Midwest, and he would get a big pay raise.

Why he wouldn’t: who knows, maybe he hates money, loves his brother, and likes being at a lesser program.

At the end of the day, KU should really thank Mangino! He did what I call, the Jake Gyllenhaal. Have you seen Gyllenhaal in Jurassic Park? He was a fat annoying kid that nobody ever would have thoughtwould one day have millions of female admirers. Look at him now - he has a lady or two beating down his door! That’s KU; they used to be a laughing stock,  now they're doing a pretty good job. The one thing about the Gyllenhaal is that he still isn’t cool enough that he can pull off anything, he needs to stay the way he is for a while or he runs the risk of losing it all. So even if they don’t pick a name on this list, they still need a name that can keep them competitive in the big 12 and keep them in the headlines for a while.

If you're a Kansas Jayhawks fan, you should be super-annoyed that the powers-that-be in Lawrence decided to fire Mark Mangino.

Yes, we understand that there were locker room shenanigans where Mangino made some derogatory remarks towards players.

But if we're honest, do you think they were any worse than players hear from either their own teammates, opposition teammates, their own or opposing fans, or every other coach in Division I.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not excusing Mangino for allegedly saying what he did. It was wrong.

But you know what? Mangino wasn't fired just because of the remarks.

He was fired because of a monumental collapse in KU's fortune, where seven games turned the Jayhawks from something to nothing.

The Jayhawks went from a 5-0 record to a 5-7 record, losing seven straight games - mainly in stunning circumstances.

The awful loss to Missouri at the end of the season was galling enough. But the 'Hawks were beaten by Colorado, humiliated at home by Nebraska (who doesn't generally score a ton of points—they managed 31 in Lawrence) and Oklahoma, and soundly thrashed by Texas.

Here's the funny thing: It wasn't like they lost to Appalachian State or anything. In fact, they went 5-0 against a soft schedule, and then collapsed.

But why should the ruling powers at KU been surprised?

Mark Mangino turned the program around, taking it from a few players running around next to a wheatfield to a Big XII North power, and the stunning BCS win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Anyway, the odds are that Mangino will get another job—either as a head coach or offensive coordinator. He's a great recruiter. He's sent talent to the NFL—and with Todd Reesing and Kerry Maier, will have to more students who could well make the big leagues. And more's the case, he's learned his lesson. At least, we hope he has.

Here's 'highlights' from his last game in charge. They don't make pretty looking.

There was a time when both Kansas and Kansas State football were in complete shambles.  Both programs were so bad that they came in dead-last and next-to-dead-last every season in the “dirty dozen,” a list compiled annually either by Playboy or Penthouse (I can’t remember which) of the worst college football teams in the nation.

Of course, Oregon and Oregon State made the list regularly as well, so times do change.

Kansas State always seemed to be the absolute worst and who knows if that is because of lack of budget or an absent-minded athletic department.  Things were dreadful until Bill Snyder came along to change all that in the '80s.

Kansas made incremental progress over the years, but never matching Kansas State until Mark Mangino arrived.

Mangino is a man with a plan, a very intense guy.  I always found it strange how anyone that physically huge can stand to live with themselves let alone carry the burden of rebuilding a college football program.

If you don’t think physical demands are important, think again.  If you don’t pay attention to your health, you will die and your accomplishments will be meaningless.  It’s very simple.

Stress, a bad diet, everything that can go wrong will go wrong if you are not careful.

Mark Mangino looks like the unhealthiest man in the world of collegiate athletics.  It’s one thing to be obese, but this is in addition to an anger management problem that has spilled over consistently.

Whatever those emotional and anger issues amount to have now cost him his job.  Mangino is out as head coach at Kansas and rightfully so.  A coach who steps over the line and motivates student-athletes through belittling them has no place in the game.

Save that approach for the military.  Though, even there, Mangino is no role model.

Yet, somehow Mangino has managed to do great things as a head coach.  He has most assuredly built Kansas into a steady program, capable of competing with any Division I team in the nation.

He demands a lot from his players and from the looks of it, he gets the most of out of them.  One way or the other, his players had a fire under them with Mangino’s insistence.

To get back into coaching, Mangino will have to learn to motivate without belittling.  He will need to reinvent himself.  What he should do with a small portion of his multi-million dollar payout is hire a personal trainer.  Get rid of the unsightly, grotesque physical form he is saddled with.  Re-emerge as a new man with a new approach.

Learning from your mistakes will require more than words.  It will require action.

It would be nice to see Mangino truly understand where he went wrong and how awful it is to carry his burdens physically, mentally and emotionally. 

Or maybe that’s just the California, new age, hippy in me that sees things that way.  I can’t imagine being that fat and thinking that being an intense head football coach is more important than my health.  Everything goes hand in hand.  Change has to happen if Mangino is to achieve any measure of resilience.

Mark Mangino is gone. 

No explanation for this has been given by Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins.  We know that there was an internal investigation into alleged verbal abusive by Mangino and that its findings will never be made public.  We know that Mangino and Perkins were never friendly with one another and we know that Mangino lost his last seven games at Kansas.  Outside of that, we know nothing.

No doubt, Mangino's exit from Kansas and his feuding with the athletic director will live on in Lawrence lore much like the similarly bizzare and equally contentious exit of Roy Williams.

For now, though, Kansas fans are speculating about who will be the next coach at Kansas.  This is the way it should be.

Numerous names have been tossed around as potential candidates: Jim Harbaugh, Phillip Fulmer, Skip Holtz, Randy Edsall, Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, Tommy Tuberville, Nolan Cromwell and even, incredibly, Super Bowl Champion Brian Billick.

Would any of them actually agree to come to Kansas?  Maybe.  We will have to see.  It is not unlikely that Kansas will get told "no" more than one time.  Kansas' great advantage though is that it is likely willing to pay over the $2 million mark to compensate for taking over a troubled Big 12 North program.

Sources today in different media outlets are reporting that Jim Harbaugh is the clear front runner for the Kansas job.  Does this actually make sense and is it possible?  I think so.

Harbaugh is a successful, exciting, media savvy, and telegenic young coach.  In his last two jobs he has quickly turned around troubled football programs.  He is famous from his college and NFL careers with the Michigan Wolverines, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts and would generate enormous excitement among the Jayhawks fan base. 

No doubt, the marketing division of the athletic department would love to be able to plaster the smiling mugs of Jim Harbaugh and Bill Self all over university publications and advertisements.

At first thought, Harbaugh coming to Kansas seems unlikely.  I'm sure, as we all have been told, it is never a good career decision to make a "lateral" move.  Is Kansas a job that is really better than Stanford?  Its hard to say, but it is certainly true that many people will argue that Kansas is the lesser of the two jobs.

That said, Harbaugh does have connections to Kansas through his wife and much more importantly, Kansas would be able to double Harbaugh's salary.  Could Harbaugh turn down two to three million?  It's a thought worth pondering.  The old saying goes though that "money talks," and it might very likely have the last word in that decision-making process for Harbaugh.

Many are saying that Harbaugh will not take the Kansas job because he is holding out for Michigan.  While I do think it is possible that Harbaugh would say "no" to Kansas to hold out for an upper tier college or NFL job, I don't see Michigan in Harbaugh's future.  Harbaugh, known for his straight-shooter style, famously told off Michigan's athletic department in his first year at Stanford and I don't think the wound has healed enough for the two sides to reconcile. 

What are the drawbacks with Harbaugh?  Not many, but there are a couple. 

Harbaugh has no traditional tie-ins or experience with the Big 12 or recruiting in Kansas or Texas.  While this deficiency could be covered with a good assistant coaching staff, it is generally a negative factor. 

Secondly, and more interestingly, Lew Perkins never got along with Mark Mangino because of differences in personality.  Perkins, to put it nicely, seems to be something of a control freak.  Harbaugh has a long history dating to his playing days of having a fiery and outspoken personality.  If the two men ever got off the same page, the results could possibly be similar to what Mangino experienced.

Is Perkins' willing to risk this happening with the next Kansas football coach?  I don't know, but I hope he is.  Harbaugh would be an intriguing choice that would bring lots of excitement to Kansas Jayhawks Football and the Big 12 North next season.

In a meeting that took place just minutes ago, Mark Mangino resigned (it was probably suggested...) from his position as head football coach at the University of Kansas. 

He has reportedly reached an agreement that will not financially weigh down the University's athletics department. Rumors are already flying around campus concerning potential successors Lew Perkins may have his eye on.

I don't claim to know that much about the world of coaching, or that there is any truth to these rumors whatsoever, and that these are nothing more than the currently most popular names on campus (not counting Xavier Henry).

Just for fun, here's a run-down of the main guys people seem to like the most up here on Mount Oread...

Brent Venables (Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator)

This coordinator will be at the top of every major job opening in the NCAA next year, so it's hard to imagine him coming to Kansas. 

Had Bob Stoops left or should he, for whatever reason, change his mind and head to South Bend, Venables would be the Sooners' head honcho. 

As long as Stoops is in town, however, Venables could be searching for another venue, and Kansas wouldn't be an awful spot for a first prime-time coaching gig.

However, I think waiting another year at Oklahoma may ultimately result in better opportunities elsewhere. Besides, if players think Mangino's rough, wait til they get a load of this guy.

Outlook: There will be far greener pastures for Venables.

Robb Akey (Idaho Head Coach)

The Idaho Vandals' head coach has been on a 20-year trip that has taken him everywhere throughout the west, and he has been successful at every pit stop.

In just two years, he has turned Idaho from a nobody to a contender. However, this is still the WAC we're talking here, and his Vandals are currently just 4-4 in conference play. 

I think he's a good enough coach for a job like Kansas, but is still a bit unproven and would be a risky pick-up. Another improved season for the Vandals next year will mean big, BCS-style bucks for Akey in 2011.

Outlook: There are far more 'qualified' candidates available, but Akey is young and has potential.

Jim Harbaugh (Stanford Head Coach)

Harbaugh seems really intriguing to me. The window is open in the Pac 10 with USC on a bit of a decline, and Stanford is a pretty quality school to coach football for. It's hard to argue with BCS football on the west coast, isn't it?

Only two things push me to put Harbaugh on this list. First, a source tells me that his wife is from Kansas City, and that he's familiar with and enjoys the area.

Secondly, despite being out west, the recruiting at Kansas provides stronger opportunities than Stanford due to the Cardinals' stringent academic requirements.

Hey, I like him, and he seems like the kind of guy Lew Perkins would be interested in as well.

Outlook: I can't say I'd argue with an offer to a coach of his caliber if he's interested.  That's a huge 'if', though.

Charlie Strong (Florida Defensive Coordinator)

Strong is a fantastic recruiter and manages to compile supremely athletic and talented defenses year in and year out.

He promotes tough, disciplined football, and would be a welcome addition to any coaching opportunity in the country.

Once again, however, therein lies the problem. Louisville has him on the radar already, and while I think Kansas provides a much more enticing offer for potential football coaches, I only wonder who else might be eyeing him already.

For now, I'll put him in the same category as Venables, as he hasn't had a major head coaching gig yet, but could and should have one soon.

Outlook: I'm appalled that more noise hasn't been made surrounding Strong, but if Louisville doesn't snatch him up, some other even-better opportunities should arise for him.

Randy Edsall (Connecticut Head Coach)

In reality, I think Edsall makes the most sense. Lew Perkins hired him once already, to a very similar 'basketball school' situation none the less, and he has been consistently successful there since.

He's a tough, classy, Perkins kind of guy and Kansas could probably offer him a little more potential (in both financial and football terms) than UConn would likely propose. He even brought UConn from the subdivision into the BCS football world.

However, his team hasn't gone far since, and his win column is scattered with some random 3's and 4's over his tenure at UConn. He'd fit right in at Kansas, but could he bring our football team anywhere?

Outlook: I think he'd look heavily at Kansas, and I think Kansas will look heavily at him.  The intrigue is definitely there, especially for Lew Perkins, but would Edsall want to come?

Will Muschamp (Texas Defensive Coordinator), Brian Kelly (Cincinnati Head Coach)

For all of you hopefuls throwing these two names around, I'm going to give you some advice.

Stop.

No matter how big the names above seem, these are the two hottest one's on the coaching market right now, and I can assure you Kansas is not on the radar.  I don't understand why Muschamp would go anywhere; he's set to inherit the best team in the best recruiting state in the world sooner or later!

I know I've barely scratched the surface of potential coaches, though. 

Leave your comment at the bottom and let me know about the names you've heard, what you think of them, and who you'd ultimately enjoy seeing as the head football coach for the University of Kansas! I'm interested to hear!

In the meantime, I'm going to sit back, relax, and let a very experienced athletic director take care of business. 

I'd also like to wish Mark Mangino the best in whatever he decides to do, because he is still what made Kansas football great. 

Retirement, a smaller head coaching gig, or an assistant job somewhere seem like the ideal spots for the big fella. Anyone think Bill Snyder would like to have him around?

Anyway, I'd also like to say that while I have enjoyed having Mangino around and that he's still a great football coach, I also think that due to recruiting, potentially recurring issues, and both his and the school's image, the coach did the best thing he could've done for himself and the University of Kansas.

Mark Mangino, two wins shy of being the winningest football coach in school history, has resigned his position as head football coach at the University of Kansas after reaching a financial settlement with the university.  Athletic director Lew Perkins met with Kansas players and assistant coaches at the Jayhawks’ football complex to break the news.  Mangino is not believed to have been present. 

We can only imagine what the emotions and tension must have been at that meeting between the players and coaches and Perkins. 

Along with the scrutiny brought by the investigation, which began after Mangino allegedly grabbed, yelled at and poked senior linebacker Arist Wright, the Jayhawks this season endured a bitter seven-game losing streak after starting the season 5-0.  Regardless of which factor played a larger role in his resignation, either the losing streak or the investigation, Mangino was forced out from Kansas today.

Mark Mangino is going to leave behind him an undeniable legacy in Kansas football history. For the most part there were more highs than lows under Mangino the last eight years in Lawrence.  Against great odds Mangino took the Kansas Jayhawks to four bowl games, including back to back bowls, nothing the traditional Big 12 cellar dweller had ever accomplished before.  Most impressively, in the era of the Big 12 Mangino took the Jayhawks to the 2008 Orange Bowl and won it against Virginia Tech capping a school best 12-1 season. 

Mangino built a football program from scrap in his own image- and for this he was widely loved by Jayhawks fans. His teams took on his personality.  They were plucky, focused, disciplined and resilient.  Mangino's players would often repeat in interviews one of his favorite expressions, no matter what happens you just have to "keep sawing wood."   Many of the players, some now in the NFL, that bought into Mangino's system made emotional defenses for him the last few weeks.

The divorce between Kansas and Mangino was messy, to say the least.

It was always known in Lawrence that athletic director Lew Perkins and Mark Mangino did not get along.  Their mutual dislike, or coldness, became blatantly apparent this season first with the much publicized feuding between the football and basketball teams and then later with the allegations of mistreatment.  Lew Perkins did not hire Mangino and this fact was always apparent.  Mangino was not Perkins' guy and therefore he was expendable.

One thing is clear now though, the next football coach Lew Perkins brings in will be his guy.  Rumors are circulating that Turner Gill, Jim Harbaugh, Art Briles, Larry Fedora, Randy Edsall and Phil Fulmer all may be canidates.  Whoever the eventual hire will be, Lew Perkins should know that his future at Kansas is tied with the success of the next Kansas football coach.  If that coach bombs in three or four years, he and Perkins may very well be standing in the unemployment line together.  Perkins has no big hire under his belt at Kansas yet.  He did not hire either Mangino or the basketball National Championship winner Bill Self.  The stakes for Perkins are high.

On top of all this, Perkins recently began a controversial project to build a 3,000 seat luxury club-level addition to the Jayhawks' Memorial Stadium.  Priced at $34 million, so far Perkins has only been able to raise $3.5 million towards the project, a figure that is only slightly more than the 10 percent necessary to begin work.  If Perkins misses on this hire, or if the new coach struggles in his first few years, its hard to see fans and donors supporting Perkins with money to build luxury boxes to watch a bad team play.

As the coaching search now goes forward, it is interesting and ironic to note that Mark Mangino has made the Kansas football job more attractive than it was before he took it.  In doing this he has placed great expectations upon the next coach who lands in Lawrence.  Kansas isn't Texas or Nebraska or even Missouri, but Mangino won the Orange Bowl so why shouldn't the next guy be able to replicate his success?  Sounds like pressure to me.

In 1996 the Baylor Bears fired Chuck Reedy after he had found success similar to that of Mark Mangino during his time there.  For the athletic director, it simply was not good enough so he was let go.  What happened to Baylor's football program after that firing should be any Kansas Jayhawk fan's worst nightmare.  Reedy had taken Baylor to the Alamo Bowl, but after he left Baylor never went to a bowl again and posted a winning percentage from 1996 to 2009 in Big 12 play that was decidely under twenty percent.  That is ugly.  And what is worse, it is a possible future for Kansas.

The new Kansas football coach is going to have to face a Big 12 North division that took major steps forward in 2009.  Under Bo Pelini, Nebraska looks like it is close to reclaiming its national power status.  At Missouri, Gary Pinkel has built a consistent year to year bowl team and title contender that also happens to have one of the more talented young quarterbacks under center in Blaine Gabbert.  Kansas State, which seemed to be a mess when Ron Prince was coach, has now been resurrected under the remarkable coaching genius of Bill Snyder and should be expected to be a division title contender.  Finally, even Iowa State appears to have a bright future after making a bowl game in Paul Rhodes' first season in 2009 and returning lots of talent for 2010.  And this is just mentioning the teams from the Big 12 North, and not the traditionally stronger teams of the South division like Oklahoma and Texas who Kansas will have to play too.

If Kansas' football program is going to have a chance, Lew Perkins needs to act quickly to find a coach that can win at Kansas.  This is not an easy task, but it is possible as Mark Mangino showed.  Thanks to the drawn out and controversial firing of Mark Mangino by Perkins, the next coach is going to have an even harder time of it.  Many fans and alumni are not happy that Mangino is no longer leading Kansas and if the next coach stumbles out of the gate things could get ugly fast in Lawrence.