LAWRENCE | Kansas football coach Mark Mangino poked senior linebacker Arist Wright in the chest during a Friday walkthrough practice the day before the game at Colorado, sources told The Star on Tuesday evening, triggering an athletic department investigation of Mangino. </p><p>On Monday night, KU athletic director Lew Perkins met with the entire football team to discuss concerns relating to Mangino&rsquo;s treatment of student-athletes. One of those concerns came from Wright, a starting player who sources say told Perkins of his incident with Mangino. At the meeting, where Mangino was not present, KU players were invited to bring information in front of a formal panel that, according to quarterback Todd Reesing, would be unbiased and from outside of the athletic department.</p><p>&ldquo;I can confirm an internal review is under way,&rdquo; Perkins said in a statement. &ldquo;It involves a personnel matter, and as a result, is confidential. It would be inappropriate for me to provide further information right now.&rdquo;</p><p>Mangino said Tuesday at his weekly scheduled news conference that he has not lost his team.</p><p>&ldquo;Not one bit,&rdquo; Mangino said. &ldquo;I may have lost some people around here, but it&rsquo;s not the players.&rdquo; </p><p>Yet, with the Jayhawks riding a five-game losing streak into their game Saturday at Texas, it was one of Mangino&rsquo;s players who brought his concerns to Perkins. And former players told The Star on Tuesday that the incident between Mangino and Wright was far from an isolated occurrence. </p><p>Mangino has shown a volatile personality at different points during his eight years at Kansas. Early in his career, he was kicked out of his son&rsquo;s Lawrence High football game for yelling at game officials. In 2004, he was fined $5,000 for criticizing the officials after a loss to Texas. In 2007, Mangino grabbed the facemask of Raimond Pendleton after Pendleton showboated during a punt-return touchdown in the season-opener. </p><p>Mangino verbally lambasted Pendleton, calling him a &ldquo;hot dog,&rdquo; and the video became a YouTube sensation.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s gone on for years, mistreating players like this,&rdquo; one former player said. &ldquo;I had the worst time I&rsquo;ve ever had from when I got there all the way to when I left.&rdquo;</p><p>Another former player said: &ldquo;Mangino has made people who come to the school that loved football leave hating football. And basically it all comes from how he treats his players.&rdquo;</p><p>A parent of a former player told The Star there is a large organized group of former players&rsquo; parents ready to air their concerns about Mangino as well.</p><p>Mangino was unavailable for comment Tuesday night about the Wright incident. Wright and Wright&rsquo;s father also could not be reached for comment.</p><p>When the incident occurred between Mangino and Wright, the Jayhawks were 5-0 and ranked No. 17 in the country, and they appeared to be on their way to competing for an outright Big 12 North title. Colorado was 1-4 at the time but jumped out to a shocking 24-3 lead over KU in the second quarter. The Jayhawks fought back but lost 34-30.</p><p>They have not recovered since, losing five in a row, each with a different cruel twist. On Saturday against Nebraska, KU lost 31-17 despite taking a 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Jayhawks are heavy underdogs in their next game, Saturday night at third-ranked Texas. If they lose, they will need to beat Missouri in the season finale at Arrowhead Stadium to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible.