Reporters discovered Saturday why people have given him the nickname “Bear.”
Bear, a.k.a. first-year football coach Mark Mangino, cemented that notoriety in the post-game aftermath of Saturday’s 55-20 season-ending loss. When a reporter asked Bear when heÂ’d take his first break, he snapped back with a reply that drew a collective, “Huh?” from the media room.
“I’ll take a couple of days off at the end of February,” he said straight-faced, without hesitating.
Whoa, wait a minute. February? As in the month after January? As in the time more than 90 days from now? Reporters expected to hear Turkey Day. Or Christmas. Or New YearÂ’s. But no. Bear says February. That is remarkable.
You can’t blame him for showing this kind of vigor – Kansas did drop 10 games and embarrassed itself on a weekly basis. But seriously, how can he cope without taking some time away from the program, even if just for a couple of days?
It’s his dream that keeps the wheels rolling. It’s the task of selling the dream to Joe Blow recruit that drives Bear.
On Dec. 1, the recruiting contact period begins. It must be a grind. Random airports leading Bear on flights to random cities all over the nation to meet even more random Joe Blows. All this in the name of the dream.
This is where Bear must shine. He must pull a Jerry Maguire. You know, all that “King of the housecalls, master of the living room,” stuff. That has to be Bear. Bear must rule Joe Blow’s living room.
“It’s a hard sell, but a recruit could come here and maybe play right away rather than sit and wait for three, maybe four years with a program that’s established,” Bear said. “We’ve got an opportunity for a lot of players to come in here and play, and a lot of players want to do that.”
Bear’s dream of leading Kansas to Big 12 prominence should influence many recruits. He will tell them they can build a program and leave their stamp on Lawrence. Bear can promise the chance to be a Jayhawk football forefather. Why wait your turn? Play now, he will emphasize.The talent cupboard has been bare for years in Kansas’ program. Last week, Bear stressed the coaching staff was chasing talent for every position on the field. He is right there.
Kansas returns a versatile quarterback in Bill Whittemore, a gritty running back in Clark Green and several other talented freshmen, such as wide receiver Mark Simmons and linebackers Nick Reid and Kevin Kane. That is it. That is all. The team needs to improve its speed, quickness, strength and morale. That starts with recruiting and finding talent.
Bear will go the Bill Snyder route and scour the junior college ranks for some immediate help. He will also chase some the nation’s finest and pitch the dream.
Bear could probably find ten recruits talented enough to claim starting jobs next year. They are out there, and it is possible they could end up in Jayhawk blue next year.
Because this Bear refuses to hibernate.
