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Posted
by Matt Tait
March 1, 2013 at 9:19 a.m.
Former KU football coach Mark Mangino joins Youngstown State program as assistant
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The wait and speculation are finally over. Mark Mangino is back in coaching.
The former KU boss, who led the Jayhawks to a 12-1 season and Orange Bowl championship in 2007, has been hired by Youngstown State as assistant head coach and tight ends coach. Mangino also will serve as the Penguins' recruiting coordinator.
During the past several months — and, really, the past couple of years — Mangino has been linked to jobs of all kinds all across the country, from a possible answer for head coaching vacancies to a return to Oklahoma as an assistant and all things in between.
It appears Mangino, a YSU graduate, took the Youngstown State job because of his familiarity with the program and the region.
"This is a homecoming for me," Mangino said in the school's official release announcing the hire. "I'm delighted to be at a great school with a great football tradition with a team and coach poised to do great things. Every coaching job I have ever taken was a rebuilding project, but this program is not rebuilding. This program has the potential to have a very good year and that's a credit to Eric Wolford, his staff and his team."
Also in the release, Mangino elaborated about his respect for Wolford, who played for Mangino at Kansas State and coached with him at KSU when Wolford was a graduate assistant working with the offensive line.
"I am a big believer in Coach Wolford's 'no shortcuts' approach that focuses on getting results on and off the field,” he said. “This school is near and dear to my heart and I'll work very hard with Coach Wolford to get the job done."
Mangino resigned from his post at KU following the 2009 season after compiling an eight-year record of 50-48 and earning consensus national coach of the year honors in 2007.
He guided the Jayhawks to one-third of their all-time bowl appearances (four out of 12 in 125 seasons); led KU to bowl games in consecutive years for the first time ever; posted three consecutive bowl victories for first time in school history; had eight-win seasons in consecutive years for the first time since 1908-09; had six wins in four straight seasons for the first time since 1903-06; won 20 games in a two-year period, the most in school history; brought the program into the national polls for the first time in 11 campaigns and saw the passion for KU football explode as the school set home attendance average records in a four-year span.
Prior to his arrival in Lawrence, Mangino played a key role in the rebuilding process at both Oklahoma (1999-2001) and Kansas State (1991-98).
Comments
KansasTwister 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Good for Mark!!! I am glad for him and his family. I am still in the corner wishing we still had him as KU's coach.
741hawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Mangino poised to take over as Head Coach when Wolford leaves for a better position! Good move!
Raydude 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Mark Mangino rocks. Good for him. I am a firm believer in second chances. I bet he does them a good job there. Wish him and his family all happiness.
It seems to me society has made political correctness into a weapon, that can be used by whomever is in power. Lew became politically incorrect, post exercise equipment, ticket scandal. Turner Gill was a complete PC appointment to help Lew with his PC problem. What ever happened to just doing a good job and being honest........I thank God someone invented Dr. Zenger and HCCW.
KGphoto 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Is there any chance he ends up succeeding Snyder in five years?
jocknavals 3 months, 2 weeks ago
no
Boouk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
No way Currie hires him. They'll probably promote one of their coordinators to HC.
Phoghorn 3 months, 2 weeks ago
No. Coach Mangino does not like having other men adjust his ties for him.
KGphoto 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Yeah, but do really think he'll be the one making that call? I mean, Snyder is God in Manhattan. If there is somebody he wants to succeed him, I'm thinking he'll get that what he wants. The whole reason he came back was because he couldn't stand seeing them fall apart under Prince. Surely he wants to hand pick a coach who'll keep the tradition alive this time.
bad_dog 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I believe Snyder participated in the group that identified and hired Prince. Perhaps that also provided incentive to come back and clean up the mess.
wildjayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, very good chance and it would be great.
namohcan_99 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Congratulations to Coach Mangino! Wish him nothing but success in all he does!
chuckberry32 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Matt,
I think it's time for another reallignment percentage wheel.
HawkOverseas 3 months, 2 weeks ago
What in the world does that have to do with this story? There's plenty of other things to discuss right now aside from realignment.
Phoghorn 3 months, 2 weeks ago
There have been new rumors of KU getting a B16 invite. I would love that, as long as we continue to play OSU.
JHWKDW 3 months, 2 weeks ago
There is plenty of time to talk about that later. But it be nice one day to be Longhorn free though! Big 10+ or Pac dont matter to me, as long as all the teams in the conference can leave Texas and tell Texas to stick their Longhorn Network where the sun does not shine.
cscojayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
GortHawker 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Good luck Coach Mangino, I wish you had never left, you got a raw deal.
Chris1955 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I wish Mark success in his new position.
orbiter 3 months, 2 weeks ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
cobweb 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Some think he is a bully who got what he deserved.
Raydude 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Lew should have punished him in a manner very painful for MM. .....Put him on a Restricted Calorie Diet!!!
Kip_McSmithers 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Best of luck to Coach Mangino.
KU_alum_2001 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Good luck, Coah Mangino. I hope to see you coaching a major program again soon.
oklahawk58 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Matt, I know this is a little off-topic, but in your estimation, will the "Catholic 7" announcement have any effect on reallignment?
Matt Tait 3 months, 2 weeks ago
In some way, sure, but I don't see it impacting any of the BCS conferences. For what it's worth, I'm pumped they're keeping the Big East name and will be interested to see what that mish mash of remaining teams calls itself.
wildjayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
The chances that Mark could end up on the sidelines with the great Purple and Grey are very very good. He would be a geat fit when the great Snyder leaves. Kansas ST. has a nationwide power house football and basketball program that the nation looks at when the word of Kansas is spoken.
txrockchalk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
^^ Delusions of Grandeur ^^
njjayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Agree.
njjayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
It's not appropriate to post while drinking.
gchawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Best of luck, Coach. Hope this works out for you.
touringdriver 3 months, 2 weeks ago
He was the best we've had for the 30 years I've been here.
njjayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
From MM: "I am a big believer in Coach Wolford's 'no shortcuts' approach ......" OK, likely true, but Samantha Ryan believes in taking 'no shortcuts' in her work, either! Glad to see MM is back on the field. He took a horrible program at KU and made it respectable.
rduhrich 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Too bad. Now it'd be harder for KU to hire him back. He only had the best football record KU has had in decades. When are they going to quit shooting themselves in the foot with coach hires?
Chris Baker 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I know it's his alma mater, and I'm glad to see him coaching again but... Youngstown State? As an assistant? To a former player? I... I just don't understand any of that. Does the college football world really have so little faith in him that this is the best (or close to the best) that he can do? Of course, a high level BCS job doesn't necessarily equate to happiness for a football coach, and I'm sure he is comfortable with the school/area, but still...
Oh well, I'm happy for the guy. I wish we had pushed Perkins out the door instead of Mangino.
vd 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Does the college football world really have so little faith in him that this is the best (or close to the best) that he can do?
yes
lucky777 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Good Luck Coach Mangino. It's to bad Lue Perkins messed up something you built and worked so hard for!
marchphog88 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I see there are still people under Mangino's spell around these parts. While I'm the first to agree that the way he was sent packing was garbage, he was simply not the long-term answer as our coach. He deserves credit for getting that 2007 team to the Orange Bowl, but can't we be honest that a lot of things broke our way for that to happen?
We played one of the easier iterations of the at-the-time unbalanced Big 12 schedule.
We got invited to the Orange Bowl over a team that probably had a better case to be invited.
We got to play the only opponent in the BCS bowls that we had a reasonable chance of defeating.
And what did Mangino do with the success of an Orange Bowl championship? Squeaks out a bowl-worthy season the next year, losing at least two games that should have been victories if not for inept in-game decisions, followed by an absolutely TERRIBLE season that finished with a 7-game losing streak. What happened?
As far as KSU hiring him, I hope they do. Not only would I take a certain pleasure in getting to taunt Wildcat fans about taking our leftovers, but KSU doesn't see nearly the sustained success that it has since Snyder returned with Mangino at the helm. His blustery, rake-them-over-the-coals coaching style was fine when he was an assistant to a much more cerebral, measured coach in Snyder, but as a head coach, it just doesn't work.
I only wish Perkins had not tried the cutesy little "FORCE HIM OUT" crap and had spent all of that time and effort in identifying a more competent replacement than Turner Gill.
jackdavid 3 months, 2 weeks ago
GET OVER IT! "Squeaks out a bowl-worthy season..." The old 'what have you done for me lately' BS. Coach Mangino took a (our) football program from being a not very good one, to a height of respectability not seen for a great many years previously > and not achieved since he was forced out. As someone pointed out earlier, he is responsible for 1/3 of our total bowl appearances. Credit for that success cannot be denied. Great to know he is returning to coaching and would hope it leads to a future return to a head coaching career.
hawkdds 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Mangino will be a head coach again someday,but first he must spend a little time in purgatory polishing his image before he returns to the big time.
BigBlue4KU 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Good Luck, Coach! I can't believe we let you go. Hope we learned our lesson and don't play sissy ball ever again!
kay_you 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I would not rule out Mangino at K-State. At the very least he'll get an interview.
However, Snyder stated he'd like his son to take over.
riverdrifter 3 months, 2 weeks ago
He sure can coach, no doubt about that. Alas, his reputation preceeds him and that's why he cannot recruit. Mangino's a total PR boob which is a large part of it anymore. He became repugnant to a huge majority of the fan base. Also, he's not a kid anymore and had better adopt a healthier lifestyle; i.e., ditch 200lbs. Anyway, this job is what he's left with.
.
Jhaux 3 months, 2 weeks ago
He looks way healthier in the press conference photo that you can see on the ysusports.com website, He has defintely lost a lot of weight. I am very happy for him to get a second chance.
JHWKDW 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Congratulations and best of luck to you Coach Mangino. Looks like he lost a bit of weight also.
Well that is some kind of school to get invited to. Hey Matt Tait the thing that is overlooked there is who donates and gives alot of money to Youngstown State. The DeBartolos. The Debartolos who own the San Francisco 49ers, oh and the 49er teams second home who have been known to stop in and train there along with their California headquarters. Maybe if Coach Harbaugh and company stop in there he might want to pick up some coaching tips, and watch how they do it.
Not a bad school to go to after his time away from the game.
stm62 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I always appreciated the DISCIPLINE Mangino brought to KU's football program. It might have been the Orange Bowl season that the team had very few penalties. That season was such a fun ride. Mangino was able to recruit and retain terrific coordinators. I had no idea that the program would fall off the cliff so far and so fast.
Table_Rock_Jayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Funny that he was hired by a former player. Gosh you would think that a former player would be reluctant to hire such an "abusive" coach.
Thanks Lew...for destroying our program.
bad_dog 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Well he was a former player when MM was an assistant as opposed to head coach. Perhaps he wasn't quite the same "personality" when an assistant coach?
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