The relationship between Kansas coach Mark Mangino and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops runs deep. Back to the days when the Big Eight Conference still reigned and games against Kansas State were believed to be automatic wins. It continued when the tandem teamed to help return the Sooners to national prominence.
They’ve also battled against one another on the field and off it for recruits.
The foe part of the relationship will be renewed at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when the fourth-ranked Sooners face No. 16 Kansas at Owen Field.
Neither has problem with the competition.
“It is a great relationship. We have played against each other before and we will do it again. He is a very close friend of mine. He is a guy that I can always count on and he can count on me,” Mangino said. “But we are both competitive. It has absolutely no effect on the competition that takes place (there) on Saturday. We understand what is expected out of us professionally and that is all that matters. There is no one football game or one recruit that will change the relationship that we have.”
Saturday’s meeting will be the third between them, but it could be a little different than the first two. The Sooners claimed a 41-10 victory in 2004 and a 19-3 win in 2005.
Those games took place when Mangino’s rebuilding process at Kansas was still at the foundation level. His program has added some levels in the three years since.
Kansas (5-1, 2-0) has won 17 of its last 19 games, including an Orange Bowl victory last season, and is the only team in the Big 12 North that’s still undefeated in conference play.
Quarterback Todd Reesing has played as well as any quarterback in the Big 12 over the last two seasons. He’s averaging exactly 330 passing yards a game and the Jayhawks are averaging 34.3 points .
This isn’t the typical OU-Kansas meeting over the last decade. Stoops figured things would change when Mangino took over the Jayhawks.
“Mark has a great work ethic. He has great discipline. And I love the fire in him and the emotion and the passion to coach and do well. Plus he’s a bright guy on top of it,” Stoops said. “I like that he always had a tough mindset of what he expected of his players and how he wanted them to play. So, Mark’s got a lot of great qualities that are evident to everybody now.”
They were evident when Mangino was at OU. He arrived with Stoops’ original staff in 1999 as offensive line coach. He moved up to offensive coordinator in 2000 and the Sooners went 23-2 during the offense’s 25 games under his direction.
Even though he’s been gone since the end of the 2001 regular season, there’s still an affection for him among OU fans.
“I was lucky in that I was able to be there (OU) at a time when they won a national championship. When you do that, they don't forget very quickly,” Mangino said. “They know all nine assistant coaches that were on that staff. They are really great fans and great people down there. They treat me like I am still a part of their program down there.
“My first three or four years at Kansas, if we won a game, probably 20 percent of my mail was from OU fans that were well-wishers. The last time I went down there the fans were waiting at the gate and they were telling me, ‘welcome home.’ If you win a national championship there then they declare you a resident of Oklahoma forever.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Mutual admiration
Stoops, Mangino remain close
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners struggling to make climb
Oklahoma left the Lloyd Noble Center floor feeling an emotion that has become far too common on Monday. The 71-68 loss to Missouri was another tough loss in a season that’s getting tougher every day....
-
Sooners quartet needs help from teammates
How well did Oklahoma play Monday night? So well, even after missing 14 of 23 free throws, Steven Pledger, one of the nation’s best sharpshooters, had an open 3 to send the Sooners into overtime against No. 4 Missouri....
-
Sooners good enough everywhere but the free throw line
Steven Pledger sank to the floor with his face in his hands as the buzzer sounded. He couldn’t believe the 3-pointer he took with about 1 second remaining didn’t go through the net. It wasn’t the only thing running through his mind after ...
-
Last season ended in first trip to College Word Series since 2004
Hunger. Passion. Those were the two words most often repeated at the Oklahoma softball squad’s Media Day on Monday. And it’s those two traits that the Sooners are bringing to the 2012 season, which kicks off on Friday....
-
Campbell has another big night when Sooners needed her to step up
Scoring Oklahoma’s last nine points in a narrow victory over Texas Tech, freshman Sharane Campbell had been instrumental in front of the home crowd in one victory already this season....
-
Sooners limit White but not rest of Cyclones
Oklahoma had two options on Saturday: It could either guard Iowa State forward Royce White one-on-one or force someone else to beat it....
-
Mike Stoops finally settling down after whirlwind that followed hiring
It’s been four days since National Signing Day. Oklahoma has letters of intent signed, sealed and delivered. The coaching staff can finally take a breath....
-
A win against ISU would go a long way
A month ago, Oklahoma and Iowa State were viewed as identical teams. Little was expected from either, but there were some surprising results in non-conference play. That perception has changed since Big 12 Conference play began. The ...
-
Ellenberg not sweating her recent shooting struggles
Aaryn Ellenberg may not come across as the most impassioned basketball player. That’s probably because she isn’t. The Oklahoma women’s leading scorer simply doesn’t live and die with the game....
-
Sooners new coach welcomes signees to the pitch
First year Oklahoma soccer coach Matt Potter didn't t have to make too many recruiting trips this year. The five players he signed Wednesday, all committed under former coach Nicole Nelson's regime. Despite that, Potter knows just how ...
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners struggling to make climb
