Ex-Kansas coach Mark Mangino faces Jayhawks five years after ugly exit

Former Kansas coach Mark Mangino is returning to Lawrence more than five years after an ugly departure left him without a job.

Mangino is now the offensive coordinator for Iowa State after a brief gig with Youngstown State last year. He was forced to resign from Kansas after the 2009 season following an investigation into his treatment of players. 

Iowa State heads to Kansas on Saturday to take on the Jayhawks. 

“It’s really a business trip,” Mangino said during a conference call with reporters. “Maybe after the game I might feel differently, but not going into it.”

In November 2009, the University of Kansas Athletic department launched an internal investigation into Mangino's alleged misconduct towards his players, formally accusing him of acting violently.

In one instance, he allegedly grabbed, yelled at and put his finger in the chest of a player who had been laughing during a walkthrough at practice.

After a prolonged period of negotiations, the university and Mangino's attorneys agreed on a buyout large enough to secure his quiet resignation in December 2009.

It hasn't been easy for Mangino to return to relevancy Big 12 football. The Cyclones are 2-6, ranking eighth in the conference in scoring offense at 25.8 points per game, and ninth in total offense.

“His work ethic is second to none,” KU interim coach Clint Bowen told the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd. Bowen previously worked under Mangino as an assistant. “We worked extremely hard. We paid attention to the details and learned little things do matter. We worked hard and developed a good program.”

Mangino gave a standard coach's response, deflecting any attention away from his return.

“We’re sitting at 2-6, I’m more focused on getting our offense together and playing really well down there in Lawrence. That’s always been my approach,” he said.