Kansas AD happy uncertainty is over

By Jim Baker     Dec 26, 1995

Glen Mason is staying at Kansas with the blessing of athletic director Bob Frederick.

“You know, I’m most concerned about the student-athletes. This gets us back to the normal business of doing what we can for them. This resolves a lot of things,” Frederick said Monday night after learning Mason had a change of heart about the Georgia football job.

“It ends the uncertainty. It lets us know where we are headed,” Frederick added.

Frederick, who did not make the trip to Hawaii for the Aloha Bowl, staying behind to screen job applicants, did not learn of Mason’s change of heart from Mason.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway called Frederick from Hawaii at 10:30 a.m. Lawrence time Monday to ask if Mason could have his old job back.

“Glen had come to the chancellor and said he wanted to be reconsidered here. So we traded some telephone conversations and got it worked out.” Frederick said, “Glen called me about a half hour before kickoff.”

Frederick said Hemenway’s call took him by surprise, but didn’t floor him.

“I was surprised, about the same degree of surprise as last Monday (when Mason resigned),” Frederick said.

He would not disclose Mason’s reasons for wanting to come back. “That is for Glen to say,” Frederick commented.

He did say Mason would remain on a five-year roll-over contract (for $105,000 per year starting on Jan. 1). Also, Mason would receive the contract sweetenerreportedly $100,000offered to him before he accepted the Georgia post.

“It involves radio and TV money,” Frederick said.

The Kansas AD stressed he is not upset wit Mason for what Frederick admitted was a “crazy” week.

“We felt he was a good coach before and we made an attempt to get him to stay. So nothing has changed. I am pleased he is coming back and we can get on with recruiting. I was worried about the effect on recruiting before we hired a new coach.

“I am extremely pleased for those players today,” Frederick added, noting because of phone calls he did not see much of the Jayhawks’ 51-30 Aloha Bowl victory over UCLA.

“There are some things that just happen and you have no control over those things. Thing always seem to work out for the best.”

He expressed no bitterness about having to skip the Hawaii trip to stay behind, select a search committee and screen applicants.

“The decision to stay home and work on the coaching thing gave me the opportunity to be with all five other members of my family,” Frederick said. “I’m grateful for that. Today was a little crazy, however.”

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