Pat Henderson, a former Kansas University football player who has been an assistant coach under Mark Mangino for the last three years, has moved into the Williams Fund office.
Henderson, who played linebacker for the Jayhawks in the early 1970s, will assist in major fund-raising efforts and in football-alumni relations.
“Pat has played a major role in rebuilding the KU football program,” Mangino said. “We’re excited for him as he starts his new challenge. He’ll still have a big impact on our program in this new position.”
Henderson, 52, has worked as an assistant coach at Southern Methodist, Arizona State, Purdue, TCU, Tulsa and Nebraska-Omaha, where he earned a graduate degree in 1980.
Second-year Kansas University assistant football coach Earnest Collins participated in the NCAA’s second-annual Advanced Coaching Program on Jan. 7-9 in Louisville, Ky.
The Advanced Coaching Program is phase one of the NCAA’s Coaches Academy, which began in January 2004 and is one of the NCAA’s initiatives to address the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head-coaching positions in college football.
“We are very proud of Earnest and his contributions to our program,” KU head coach Mark Mangino said. “He is definitely a rising star in the coaching profession. His selection to be a part of the A.C.P. is a reflection of his talent and hard work.”
Collins, who coaches the Jayhawk cornerbacks, joined the Kansas staff in 2003. Last season, Collins directed the efforts of sophomore cornerback Charles Gordon, who led the nation with seven interceptions and was named third-team All-America by the Associated Press — KU’s first All-America selection since 1995.
Kansas University offensive line coach Ken Conatser has resigned two games into the football season.
Head coach Mark Mangino, speaking at his Tuesday media session, said Conatser left KU “for personal reasons.” He declined to elaborate or take questions about the surprise departure.
Sources say Mangino and Conatser, 61, clashed during Saturday’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas. On Sunday, hours after the team arrived in Lawrence, Conatser reportedly left town.
Conatser, who worked on the same Youngstown State staff as Mangino in 1986, inherited an inexperienced offensive line. The Jayhawks had only one returning starter (tackle Justin Sands), and that inexperience has been evident. KU ranks last in the Big 12 Conference in scoring offense (11.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (222 yards per game).
Sources said Mangino had been so unhappy with the play of the Jayhawks’ offensive line that he had been doing some tutoring of that unit himself.
Contacted at his home in Boardman, Ohio, Conatser declined to comment on why he left.
“No, I’d rather not,” he said. “But they were great kids great kids, and I love your town.”
Mangino replaced Conatser with Brandon Blaney, the tight ends coach. Rance Holt, a graduate assistant, will assume Blaney’s old position.
“It was a smooth transition for us,” Mangino said.
Blaney, 26, is in his first year as a full-time aide. He was a student assistant at Youngstown State from 1995 to 1998, while Conatser was an aide there to coach Jim Tressel.
Blaney becomes KU’s fifth offensive line coach in the last three seasons.
Former head coach Terry Allen fired Walt Klinker now an aide at Southwest Missouri State after the 2000 season. Klinker was replaced by Sam Pittman, who was not retained when Allen lost his job last fall. Mangino hired former Notre Dame assistant Dave Borbely on Dec. 27, 2001, but Borbely bolted to Colorado in February.
Conatser came to Kansas with 39 years of coaching experience, lured in part by a $107,500 salary. Players learned of his departure on Monday.
“Coach Conatser’s a great guy,” junior quarterback Bill Whittemore said. “We support him in whatever decision he makes. We just have to keep on fighting.”
Sports editor Chuck Woodling contributed information for this story.
Kansas University offensive line coach Ken Conatser has resigned two games into the football season.
Head coach Mark Mangino, speaking at his Tuesday media session, said Conatser left KU “for personal reasons.” He declined to elaborate or take questions about the surprise departure.
Sources say Mangino and Conatser, 61, clashed during Saturday’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas. On Sunday, hours after the team arrived in Lawrence, Conatser reportedly left town.
Conatser, who worked on the same Youngstown State staff as Mangino in 1986, inherited an inexperienced offensive line. The Jayhawks had only one returning starter (tackle Justin Sands), and that inexperience has been evident. KU ranks last in the Big 12 Conference in scoring offense (11.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (222 yards per game).
Sources said Mangino had been so unhappy with the play of the Jayhawks’ offensive line that he had been doing some tutoring of that unit himself.
Contacted at his home in Boardman, Ohio, Conatser declined to comment on why he left.
“No, I’d rather not,” he said. “But they were great kids great kids, and I love your town.”
Mangino replaced Conatser with Brandon Blaney, the tight ends coach. Rance Holt, a graduate assistant, will assume Blaney’s old position.
“It was a smooth transition for us,” Mangino said.
Blaney, 26, is in his first year as a full-time aide. He was a student assistant at Youngstown State from 1995 to 1998, while Conatser was an aide there to coach Jim Tressel.
Blaney becomes KU’s fifth offensive line coach in the last three seasons.
Former head coach Terry Allen fired Walt Klinker now an aide at Southwest Missouri State after the 2000 season. Klinker was replaced by Sam Pittman, who was not retained when Allen lost his job last fall. Mangino hired former Notre Dame assistant Dave Borbely on Dec. 27, 2001, but Borbely bolted to Colorado in February.
Conatser came to Kansas with 39 years of coaching experience, lured in part by a $107,500 salary. Players learned of his departure on Monday.
“Coach Conatser’s a great guy,” junior quarterback Bill Whittemore said. “We support him in whatever decision he makes. We just have to keep on fighting.”
Sports editor Chuck Woodling contributed information for this story.
Kansas University offensive line coach Ken Conatser has resigned two games into the football season.
Head coach Mark Mangino, speaking at his Tuesday media session, said Conatser left KU “for personal reasons.” He declined to elaborate or take questions about the surprise departure.
Sources say Mangino and Conatser, 61, clashed during Saturday’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas. On Sunday, hours after the team arrived in Lawrence, Conatser reportedly left town.
Conatser, who worked on the same Youngstown State staff as Mangino in 1986, inherited an inexperienced offensive line. The Jayhawks had only one returning starter (tackle Justin Sands), and that inexperience has been evident. KU ranks last in the Big 12 Conference in scoring offense (11.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (222 yards per game).
Sources said Mangino had been so unhappy with the play of the Jayhawks’ offensive line that he had been doing some tutoring of that unit himself.
Contacted at his home in Boardman, Ohio, Conatser declined to comment on why he left.
“No, I’d rather not,” he said. “But they were great kids great kids, and I love your town.”
Mangino replaced Conatser with Brandon Blaney, the tight ends coach. Rance Holt, a graduate assistant, will assume Blaney’s old position.
“It was a smooth transition for us,” Mangino said.
Blaney, 26, is in his first year as a full-time aide. He was a student assistant at Youngstown State from 1995 to 1998, while Conatser was an aide there to coach Jim Tressel.
Blaney becomes KU’s fifth offensive line coach in the last three seasons.
Former head coach Terry Allen fired Walt Klinker now an aide at Southwest Missouri State after the 2000 season. Klinker was replaced by Sam Pittman, who was not retained when Allen lost his job last fall. Mangino hired former Notre Dame assistant Dave Borbely on Dec. 27, 2001, but Borbely bolted to Colorado in February.
Conatser came to Kansas with 39 years of coaching experience, lured in part by a $107,500 salary. Players learned of his departure on Monday.
“Coach Conatser’s a great guy,” junior quarterback Bill Whittemore said. “We support him in whatever decision he makes. We just have to keep on fighting.”
Sports editor Chuck Woodling contributed information for this story.
Kansas University offensive line coach Ken Conatser has resigned two games into the football season.
Head coach Mark Mangino, speaking at his Tuesday media session, said Conatser left KU “for personal reasons.” He declined to elaborate or take questions about the surprise departure.
Sources say Mangino and Conatser, 61, clashed during Saturday’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas. On Sunday, hours after the team arrived in Lawrence, Conatser reportedly left town.
Conatser, who worked on the same Youngstown State staff as Mangino in 1986, inherited an inexperienced offensive line. The Jayhawks had only one returning starter (tackle Justin Sands), and that inexperience has been evident. KU ranks last in the Big 12 Conference in scoring offense (11.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (222 yards per game).
Sources said Mangino had been so unhappy with the play of the Jayhawks’ offensive line that he had been doing some tutoring of that unit himself.
Contacted at his home in Boardman, Ohio, Conatser declined to comment on why he left.
“No, I’d rather not,” he said. “But they were great kids great kids, and I love your town.”
Mangino replaced Conatser with Brandon Blaney, the tight ends coach. Rance Holt, a graduate assistant, will assume Blaney’s old position.
“It was a smooth transition for us,” Mangino said.
Blaney, 26, is in his first year as a full-time aide. He was a student assistant at Youngstown State from 1995 to 1998, while Conatser was an aide there to coach Jim Tressel.
Blaney becomes KU’s fifth offensive line coach in the last three seasons.
Former head coach Terry Allen fired Walt Klinker now an aide at Southwest Missouri State after the 2000 season. Klinker was replaced by Sam Pittman, who was not retained when Allen lost his job last fall. Mangino hired former Notre Dame assistant Dave Borbely on Dec. 27, 2001, but Borbely bolted to Colorado in February.
Conatser came to Kansas with 39 years of coaching experience, lured in part by a $107,500 salary. Players learned of his departure on Monday.
“Coach Conatser’s a great guy,” junior quarterback Bill Whittemore said. “We support him in whatever decision he makes. We just have to keep on fighting.”
Sports editor Chuck Woodling contributed information for this story.