Mangino says he was justified yelling at game officials

By The Associated Press     Sep 27, 2002

? Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said he did nothing wrong when questioned about a post-game incident at his son’s high school football game in which he reportedly yelled at game officials.

“I am not going to react to those kind of things,” Mangino said after the Jayhawks’ Wednesday afternoon practice. “I made a statement and I will stand by that. In my eyes, it wasn’t a big deal. I reacted how a responsible father should react in that situation.”

The Lawrence Journal-World reported Wednesday that Mangino, the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma before taking over the Kansas program this season, was seen yelling at officials after his son’s football game Friday night. Mangino’s son Tommy, the starting quarterback for Lawrence High School, was removed after being hit hard in the Lions’ 26-7 home win against Olathe East, the Journal-World reported.

“The most important role I play in my life is that of a father and I will do what is right for my children,” Mangino said in a statement Tuesday.

“I am not affected by this,” Mangino said Wednesday. “I am focused on our ballclub.”

Lawrence High School principal Dick Patterson told the Journal-World that any incidents are handled confidentially. He said there was an incident and that it was handled appropriately but he declined to give details or name any parties involved.

Messages left for Patterson and Lawrence High School football coach Dirk Wedd were not returned Wednesday.

Sunflower League commissioner Mike Etnire, however, told The Kansas City Star that he had spoken with Jim Knight, the crew chief of Friday’s game. Etnire said Knight told him Wedd phoned him over the weekend and apologized for Mangino’s actions.

“Dirk told him that (Mangino) was out of line and he apologized for what had happened,” Etnire said. “He also said he’d watched the game film and that everything was absolutely legal and fine, that there was nothing on the film that would warrant that kind of reaction.”

Olathe East coach Jeff Meyers told The Star he was unaware of Mangino’s outburst until an assistant heard about it on the radio after the game.

“He was claiming our kid hit the quarterback late, but I’ll guarantee that it wasn’t even close to a late hit,” Meyers said.

“I think he was just being a protective dad. I think he was worried and upset that his boy got knocked out of the game.”

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