Mangino contract can be broken

By Ryan Wood     Sep 2, 2006

Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino’s new contract does contain an out if the Jayhawk football program is hit with major NCAA sanctions.

However, such clauses in a deal are typical, and the one in Mangino’s new contract – agreed upon Thursday – isn’t specifically included because of the program’s recent troubles with the NCAA.

“The same thing was in the last contract, too,” associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. “There’s no real change.”

Mangino signed a new five-year deal worth at least $1.5 million per year, locking the coach up until Dec. 31, 2010.

The big deal surprised some, considering the NCAA Committee on Infractions currently is deliberating possible additional penalties KU’s football team might receive.

KU athletic officials – including Mangino – traveled to Baltimore on Aug. 13 to give their side of the story on 11 major violations committed within the athletic department.

Five were for football, and all took place while Mangino was head coach. Mangino insists he knew nothing of the wrongdoing under his watch, a claim athletic director Lew Perkins and others have supported.

Copies of Mangino’s new contract, accessible through open record laws, won’t be available to the media until the beginning of next week.

But his last contract, which Marchiony says has similar language, states that “Mangino furthers agrees that if he is found by KU, KUAC, the Big Twelve Conference, or the NCAA to be involved in deliberate and serious violations of NCAA regulations, he may be suspended without pay and/or terminated for cause.”

There is no language stating that specific punishments, such as a postseason ban, is grounds for voiding the contract.

Perkins said Thursday he has no inside knowledge regarding any additional penalties being put on KU in the coming weeks, making it clear that it wasn’t a big issue when renegotiating Mangino’s contract.

“I am confident, but that doesn’t mean I know something,” Perkins said. “I feel, after sitting in those meetings, after going through that for three years, I feel very comfortable that Mark was not a part of, or had knowledge of that.”

PREV POST

6Sports video: KU ready, aware of NSU's talent

NEXT POST

21628Mangino contract can be broken