It appears former Kansas football head coach Mark Mangino is open-minded about a return to the college football stage, according to his visit on the Life of Fitz podcast.
At 64 years old, Mangino hasn’t seen a college coaching gig since working with Iowa State in 2015.
Since his departure from the Kansas program in 2009, Mangino served as the assistant coach for one season at Youngstown State, before making the jump back to the Big 12 at Iowa State.
Mangino undertook the role of offensive coordinator/tight ends coach for two seasons in Ames, Iowa. After speaking on Life of Fitz, it doesn’t appear the Cyclones job wasn’t one the 2007 Orange Bowl champion coach is proud of.
However, he doesn’t seem to be calling his career quits either. Searching for a job isn’t on Mangino’s agenda, but it appears he’ll be giving each offer a solid look-over.
"“I’m not out looking for a coaching job. I am not. But if something fell in my lap or somebody called me and I thought it was a good opportunity, I would seriously consider it.”Mangino on the “Life of Fitz” podcast"
Fans probably shouldn’t expect Mangino to pop up at any high-profiled schools anytime soon, but it shouldn’t surprise a few if he takes a job with a rebuilding program or one on the edge of bowl eligibility.
While he’s been out of the coaching game for nearly six years, Mangino still brings quality experience from the Big 12’s past. It’s a different game now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a difference, or at least contribute, at a program.
It seems it’s going to take a strong fit for Mangino to enter the world of college football again, but it’s fun to see the former Jayhawk coach looking for opportunities to work in the college sphere.