It’s hard to believe a team that played as well as Kansas did Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium could lose seven straight finishing the season.But the cold facts are found in KU’s final record after the heart-stopping 41-39 Border War loss to Missouri: 5-7 overall and 1-7 in Big 12 play. The former is the worst since 2004 and the latter the worst since 2002, Mark Mangino’s first season.Numbers like that often get coaches canned, especially when expectations were as lofty as Kansas’ entering the season.Assuming Mangino is fired soon, don’t believe his departure would be solely the result of the investigation into allegations of abuse.Sonofaguns who win get extensions. Nice guys who lose, like Colorado’s Dan Hawkins, usually get an extra year to right the ship. Sonofaguns who lose get the bum’s rush no matter the settlement figure.Add to the equation that Mangino isn’t Lew Perkins’ hire, and it’s difficult to see this playing out any other way.Although they’ve never had a strong bond, Perkins and Mangino shared the vision of Kansas as a big-time program. To establish that identity, the school would have to pay, and Perkins opened the vault. It’s why Mangino’s salary ranks in the top quarter of the Big 12 and top 20 nationally.Top-flight programs invest in facilities and understand the value in moving a rivalry game to a neutral setting for greater exposure.What these programs don’t do is lose seven straight and surrender hard-fought territory to opponents that haven’t made the same investments.It looked so promising two years ago. It wasn’t just the Orange Bowl triumph and top-10 finish but also the idea Kansas could believe its program could compete with the nation’s best when all the pieces fell into place.How many years in Kansas history did football feel that way? A few, tops. The previous double-digit victory season came in 1995, and it was a wonderful ride. But the Jayhawks lost to Nebraska and Kansas State by a combined 72 points.Before then, there was the 1968 season that ended in the Orange Bowl. The Jayhawks followed that year with a 1-9 record. The John Hadl teams of the early 1960s, the Ray Evans teams after World War II, all terrific moments followed by valleys of mediocrity or worse.But maybe this time would be different. The first sign came a year later when despite a midseason slump, Kansas rallied with triumphs in the Border War and bowl game. For the first time, the Jayhawks had reached the postseason in successive years.Kansas was now one of those programs that at the very least would find its way to postseason play every year. Big 12 teams can — and Kansas did — schedule four September victories. This team couldn’t find at least two in Big 12 play, even with Texas and Oklahoma on the slate?Heck, this year wasn’t going to be the test, not with Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier, Dezmon Briscoe and Darrell Stuckey among those returning. These Jayhawks were picked to finish second in the North by the coaches. I had them first because nobody in the division has a quarterback like Reesing.The transition year would be 2010, when the Jayhawks would replace most of the best passing-game components in school history.But the losing trickle became a tsunami. Mangino shuffled his lineup to no avail. Reesing probably was hurt more than anybody will ever let on. How many balls did he underthrow? The defense kept the Jayhawks in several games but couldn’t win one the way, say, Nebraska’s defense could.So, Kansas is left with what has to be considered the most disappointing season of the Mangino era. And it’s disappointing because of the program he shaped, one that reached the BCS bowl level, and gave the Jayhawks its best four-year span of the Big 12 era when it went 33-17 in all games and 17-15 in the Big 12 during 2005-08.It would seem enough to give a coach a mulligan on this season. But probably not this time because of the horrible finish to this season and the investigation. In that order.

Posted on Sun, Nov. 29, 2009 11:09 PM

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If Mangino goes, check the record first

By BLAIR KERKHOFF

The Kansas City Star

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It’s hard to believe a team that played as well as Kansas did Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium could lose seven straight finishing the season.

But the cold facts are found in KU’s final record after the heart-stopping 41-39 Border War loss to Missouri: 5-7 overall and 1-7 in Big 12 play. The former is the worst since 2004 and the latter the worst since 2002, Mark Mangino’s first season.

Numbers like that often get coaches canned, especially when expectations were as lofty as Kansas’ entering the season.

Assuming Mangino is fired soon, don’t believe his departure would be solely the result of the investigation into allegations of abuse.

Sonofaguns who win get extensions. Nice guys who lose, like Colorado’s Dan Hawkins, usually get an extra year to right the ship. Sonofaguns who lose get the bum’s rush no matter the settlement figure.

Add to the equation that Mangino isn’t Lew Perkins’ hire, and it’s difficult to see this playing out any other way.

Although they’ve never had a strong bond, Perkins and Mangino shared the vision of Kansas as a big-time program. To establish that identity, the school would have to pay, and Perkins opened the vault. It’s why Mangino’s salary ranks in the top quarter of the Big 12 and top 20 nationally.

Top-flight programs invest in facilities and understand the value in moving a rivalry game to a neutral setting for greater exposure.

What these programs don’t do is lose seven straight and surrender hard-fought territory to opponents that haven’t made the same investments.

It looked so promising two years ago. It wasn’t just the Orange Bowl triumph and top-10 finish but also the idea Kansas could believe its program could compete with the nation’s best when all the pieces fell into place.

How many years in Kansas history did football feel that way? A few, tops. The previous double-digit victory season came in 1995, and it was a wonderful ride. But the Jayhawks lost to Nebraska and Kansas State by a combined 72 points.

Before then, there was the 1968 season that ended in the Orange Bowl. The Jayhawks followed that year with a 1-9 record. The John Hadl teams of the early 1960s, the Ray Evans teams after World War II, all terrific moments followed by valleys of mediocrity or worse.

But maybe this time would be different. The first sign came a year later when despite a midseason slump, Kansas rallied with triumphs in the Border War and bowl game. For the first time, the Jayhawks had reached the postseason in successive years.

Kansas was now one of those programs that at the very least would find its way to postseason play every year. Big 12 teams can — and Kansas did — schedule four September victories. This team couldn’t find at least two in Big 12 play, even with Texas and Oklahoma on the slate?

Heck, this year wasn’t going to be the test, not with Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier, Dezmon Briscoe and Darrell Stuckey among those returning. These Jayhawks were picked to finish second in the North by the coaches. I had them first because nobody in the division has a quarterback like Reesing.

The transition year would be 2010, when the Jayhawks would replace most of the best passing-game components in school history.

But the losing trickle became a tsunami. Mangino shuffled his lineup to no avail. Reesing probably was hurt more than anybody will ever let on. How many balls did he underthrow? The defense kept the Jayhawks in several games but couldn’t win one the way, say, Nebraska’s defense could.

So, Kansas is left with what has to be considered the most disappointing season of the Mangino era. And it’s disappointing because of the program he shaped, one that reached the BCS bowl level, and gave the Jayhawks its best four-year span of the Big 12 era when it went 33-17 in all games and 17-15 in the Big 12 during 2005-08.

It would seem enough to give a coach a mulligan on this season. But probably not this time because of the horrible finish to this season and the investigation. In that order.

To reach Blair Kerkhoff, call 816-234-4730 or send e-mail to bkerkhoff@kcstar.com

Posted on Sun, Nov. 29, 2009 11:09 PM

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