KU's Mangino named National Coach of the Year

Jayhawks, Mangino fare well in awards

J-W Staff Reports

December 7, 2007

Orlando, Fla. — Kansas University’s football team came away with gobs of hardware at Thursday’s College Football Awards Show.

The most notable honor went to KU coach Mark Mangino, who was named the Home Depot Coach of the Year.

Mangino, in his sixth year at Kansas, led the program out of mediocrity and into the Orange Bowl. The Jayhawks finished the regular season 11-1.

“I appreciate the Home Depot and ESPN for the award,” Mangino said. “However, this award represents our wonderful players and our great assistant coaches, who have worked to make this an incredible season. It’s not about me. It’s about us.”

“Us” also was honored Thursday. The Jayhawks were named Breakthrough Team of the Year for their five-game improvement over last year’s 6-6 season.

In addition, junior cornerback Aqib Talib and junior offensive tackle Anthony Collins were named to the Walter Camp All-America team, voted on by the Football Writers Association of America.

Collins also was an Outland Trophy finalists, but lost to LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. The Outland Trophy goes to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Mangino, already named Big 12 coach of the year, is a finalist for at least two other national coach-of-the-year honors — the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Award. The Associated Press names a national coach of the year, as well, which Mangino likely is on a short list of candidates for.