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December 13, 2007
Mark Mangino knew winning football games at Kansas University would be no easy task when he was hired to take over as the program's coach.Six years later, however, Mangino has the Jayhawks near the top of the college football world. They own a program-best 11-1 record, a top-10 national ranking and are headed to the Orange Bowl.On Tuesday, three Jayhawks were named Associated Press All-Americans. Junior cornerback Aqib Talib and junior left tackle Anthony Collins earned first-team honors and senior defensive tackle James McClinton was tapped for the second team.That, in a nutshell, explains what's different with KU football these days. You can talk about wins, a soft schedule, whatever. Ultimately, it comes down to having playmakers, and the Jayhawks have plenty of them. Certainly this year's team has the most playmakers since 1995, and maybe the most in program history.No Jayhawk had earned AP All-America first-team honors since 1983, and no KU squad ever had three All-Americans prior to this season.It's no secret that talent wins games. Just ask Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas, USC and any other traditional power.Kansas finally has a piece of that wealth.Of course, the three All-Americans aren't the only playmakers on this team. There's quarterback Todd Reesing, fullback Brandon McAnderson, tailback Jake Sharp, utility player Kerry Meier, the best wide receiver corps in school history : the list goes on and on. The difference today is you can look at just about every position on the roster and say, "That guy is reliable."Mangino has been praised for his coaching ability, his attention-to-detail preparation and for the way he has ingrained discipline into his team. Perhaps his best attributes have been recruiting and player development. He has turned quarterbacks into the best defensive player in the Big 12 (Nick Reid), the best kick returner in the league (Marcus Herford) and the best utility player in the league (Meier). He has snagged diamonds in the rough like Bill Whittemore who put in a lot of the grunt work to get the program headed in the right direction.Now Mangino has a roster with three All-Americans and numerous other playmakers, and he has the program in the top-10.The Jayhawks have come a long way in the past six years. It wasn't easy, but Mangino didn't expect it to be.
Comments
RikRok (anonymous) says...
KU can thank its coordinators for the player development, it has little to nothing to do with Mangino -- except that he brought them aboard.
Explain how he "developed" Jake Sharp into a playmaker who got in, what, one play in an embarassing loss to Mizzou?
Feel free to go cuddle up and eat a couple dozen Hardee's Thickburgers with Mangino and drink from his Kool-Aid.
Then check back the next two seasons -- or look to recent history -- to find out what type of coach he is.
Better yet, go ask some of his players who truly made them better.
December 13, 2007 at 7:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
wow ...
now the Tigger and Mildcat scum have seeped into THIS side of KUSports!
I just love how the only card you bastards can play is Coach Mangino's weight ...
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Nick Reid, defensive player of the year, signed as a quarterback, I believe ... Banks Floodman or Kevin Kane came in as a running back, now THAT'S player development!!
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Keep hurling all of your pathetic insults, the Jayhawks are in a BCS Bowl game ... and the Tiger fans can only blame themselves and their reputation for boorish behavior; K-State couldn't even beat a non-BCS conference team to seal the postseason deal ...
Enjoy cold, desolate Manhattan or picking Cotton in Dallas, whichever kind of "pussy" you are, loser!
December 13, 2007 at 11:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fabolous_bg (anonymous) says...
Well said Sevenyear...
December 14, 2007 at 10:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...
RikRok:
You are clearly the product of a failed public school system and your delusional comments are probably embarrassing your parents.
Normally I would take this opportunity to dispute your contentions but the fat jokes are not only old but a dead give away. Next time you feel compelled to expose your jealous tendencies have the courage to defend your team instead of attempting to belittle the one that is the source of your frustration.
December 14, 2007 at 10:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fabio (anonymous) says...
Im sorry RikRok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzYEpa...
December 14, 2007 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JBurtin (anonymous) says...
Take the records 2-10, 6-7, 4-7, 7-5, 6-6, 11-1(so far) and graph them on a scatter plot. Then fit them with a regression line.
You see where that line is going?
UP!
Trying to say that Mangino is a bad coach at this point is the most ignorant position I can possibly imagine.
He helped turn around K-State at a time when they were the worst team in Div-1 history.
He was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma when they won a national freakin' championship with his offense.
He won the Frank Broyles award for the best assistant coach in the nation for his efforts.
His quarterback won the Heisman.
Now he has taken a KU program that was left decimated by Terry Allen and in six years has turned it into a top ten program on its way to the Orange Bowl.
He's already won several Coach of the Year awards for his efforts, with others likely on the way.
I guess he must just be really lucky.
Now everybody remember the three R's of stupiditiy.
Rik, Rok, and Retard.
December 14, 2007 at 4:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )