Mark Mangino Named To Two Coach Award Watch Lists

Nov. 7, 2007

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head football coach Mark Mangino was named to two national college football coach award watch lists this week.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Mangino is one of 16 coaches named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Watch List for the 2007 College Football Coach of the Year as well as one of 15 selected for the George Munger Award, which is presented by the Maxwell Football Club.

Mangino, who is in his sixth season at Kansas, has guided the Jayhawks to a 9-0 record and a ranking of fourth in this week’s Bowl Championship Series (BCS) poll.

The Jayhawks are one of just three remaining undefeated teams at the Football Bowl Series (FBS) level, joining OhioState (10-0) and Hawai’i (8-0).

Kansas’ 9-0 record is its best nine-game mark since also going 9-0 in 1908. Mangino has Kansas ranked in the national polls for the first time since 1996 as well as its highest ranking since being ranked third for three weeks in 1968.

Mangino enters this week’s nationally televised game on ABC against OklahomaState with a 34-35 career record at Kansas. A win against the Cowboys would give him a .500 record and the last KU coach with a career .500 record was Jack Mitchell, who was 44-42-5 from 1958-66. KU has had eight coaches in between.

Mangino took over a KU program which had not produced a winning season in six years before his arrival in 2002. After a 2-10 mark in his first year, the Jayhawks went 6-6 in the regular season in 2003 before losing in the Tangerine Bowl.

KU then went 4-7 in 2004 before producing three straight six-win seasons for the first time since 1960-61-62. KU was 7-5 in 2005, 6-6 in 2006 and 9-0 so far this year. KU played in the Fort Worth Bowl in 2005.

Mangino came to Kansas after three years as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, including serving as the school’s offensive coordinator in 2000 and 2001. OU won the national championship in 2000.

Prior to his stint at OU, Mangino was an assistant coach at KansasState from 1991-98, helping the Wildcats make one of the nation’s biggest program turnarounds.

The New Castle, Pa. native graduated from YoungstownState in 1987. He was an assistant at New CastleHigh School (1981-84), YoungstownState (1985-86), and GenevaCollege (1987-89), as well as head coach at ElwoodCityHigh School (1990) before coaching at KansasState.

The Bryant list will be narrowed to five to 10 finalists and announced live by Alabama football legend and former NFL player Kenny Stabler during a press conference in Houston, Texas on Dec. 12. The finalists will attend an awards dinner on Jan. 17, 2008, where the winner will be announced live.

The winner of the Bryant College Coach of the Year is voted on by members of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and is the only college coaching award given after all the bowl games have been completed.

The recipient of the George Munger award will be announced via a press release in December with the formal presentation of the award taking place in Atlantic City, N.J. on Friday, March 7, 2008.

Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Semifinalists

Michael Bellotti, Oregon

Rich Brooks, Kentucky

Lloyd Carr, Michigan

Randy Edsall, Connecticut

Dennis Erickson, ArizonaState

Jeff Jagodzinski, BostonCollege

June Jones, Hawai’i

Mark Mangino, Kansas

Les Miles, LSU

Chris Petersen, BoiseState

Gary Pinkel, Missouri

Mark Richt, Georgia

Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

Nick Saban, Alabama

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Jim Tressel, OhioState

George Munger Award Semifinalists

Mike Bellotti, Oregon

Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

Randy Edsall, Connecticut

Dennis Erickson, ArizonaState

Jeff Jagodzinski, BostonCollege

Jim Leavitt, South Florida

Mark Mangino, Kansas

Les Miles, LSU

Chris Peterson, BoiseState

Gary Pinkel, Missouri

Mark Richt, Georgia

Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia

Nick Saban, Alabama

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Jim Tressel, OhioState