Harris voices his support for coach

By Matt Tait     Nov 18, 2009

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Nick Krug
Kansas University defenders Chris Harris and D.J. Beshears (20) celebrate a fumble recovery against Colorado on Oct. 17, 2009, in Boulder, Colo. Harris, a senior cornerback, is hoping to use his experience, dependability and passion to create a memorable final year on the football field in 2010.

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Beleaguered Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino insists he hasn’t “lost” his players.

While most of the Jayhawks aren’t talking, at least one — junior cornerback Chris Harris — counts himself squarely in Mangino’s corner.

“Man, we’re all for coach Mangino,” Harris said Tuesday at the team’s regular weekly news conference. “We know it’s a tough time for everybody, and we’re going through a lot of adversity. We just have to continue to fight together, and I’m pretty sure good things will happen.”

Harris’ words were, in part, a reaction to the team’s current five-game losing streak, a skid the Jayhawks will look to break at 7 p.m. Saturday when they play at No. 3 Texas. Of course, the bulk of Harris’ answer referenced reports of an ongoing investigation by an outside source in response to a meeting between Kansas athletics director Lew Perkins and the KU football team.

The meeting, first reported by the Journal-World, took place Monday night after KU senior linebacker Arist Wright reportedly went to Perkins with concerns about Mangino.

That left Mangino and five of his players to answer a barrage of questions from reporters Tuesday about the specifics and reasons for the meeting.

Most of the players declined to comment.

“I have a pretty good relationship with (Mangino),” Harris said. “I’ve been playing since I got here, and I haven’t done anything wrong, so my relationship with him has been pretty good. If you do something wrong, you’re going to get in the dog house, and I’ve pretty much kept my way out of doing wrong.”

“He’s always been the same way, same since I’ve been here,” Harris continued. “Just being a coach. The way he disciplines, the rules have always been the same since I’ve been here.”

Harris said the situation need not be a distraction.

“It can definitely bring us together if we let it bring us together, or it can split the team apart, and we can just go downhill,” he said. “I think we can spin (these distractions) as a positive. We just have to make sure people aren’t being negative about it. But I think we can come together through this.”

Freshman offensive lineman Tanner Hawkinson agreed with Harris.

“It’s only going to be as big of a distraction as you let it be,” Hawkinson said. “Obviously, you just have to stay focused on the task at hand, and I think that’s what everyone’s been doing.”

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.