I was wrong about you, Mangino

By By Travis Robinett (Contact)

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Beating either Texas or Iowa State and getting his team to a bowl game two out of the last three years would be a tremendous step for Mark Mangino and his program.

To think that only a month ago, this Kansan columnist suggested that he might not be the right man for the job. Oops. On Sept. 10 I wrote, “If he doesn’t start winning close games, this offseason Kansas needs to take the next step and hire a better in-game coach with the ability to deliver a winning season.” Well, Mangino started winning and has a good chance of getting to six victories.

On that note, I would like to formally apologize to Mangino. I’m sorry, big guy. Thanks for proving me wrong. Kudos for the fantastic defense you put together. It really is a pleasure to watch those guys tackle and make the other team consistently punt the ball. It’s even better when the offense doesn’t give the ball right back.

Mangino still hasn’t won many games decided by nine points or less in his career at Kansas. His record in those games is 3-10. But Mangino won’t need to make the right decisions in close games to make a bowl game, because his team won’t make most of its games close.

Since Mangino finally found the right quarterback in senior Jason Swanson and figured out that Kansas’ offensive strength was the running game, the nation’s best rushing defense has been able to stay off the field and watch for more than four plays before stepping on the field again. Even better than that, the offense has actually scored five touchdowns in the last two games. That’s two more than what it scored in the previous four.

Mangino’s secret for a successful team clearly isn’t in-game decision making. But he is great at recruiting, making game plans and motivating his team, especially against the opponents Kansas fans really want to beat.

Mangino already has accomplished the program’s immediate goals by ending the 36-game losing streak to Nebraska, ending the 11-game losing streak to Kansas State, defeating Missouri three years in a row and making a bowl game. What more could Kansas fans ask of Mangino?

Four years ago, all those achievements would have been inconceivable under former coach Terry Allen. Remember the last time Kansas played at Texas? The year was 2001, Allen had just been fired and Kansas lost 59-0. Kansas will most likely lose again this weekend, but Mangino has put together a team that has a chance, even though it’s a very small one, to go into Austin, Texas, and win.

The next step for Mangino is to push the program to the point where it is getting at least six victories on an annual basis. Maybe then he and Kansas will get more respect across the country. After the last two victories, Mangino will at least get some from his own campus.

Robinett is an Austin, Texas, junior in journalism.

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