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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday November 24,1987 Vol.98,No.67
Published since 1889 by the students of the University of Kansas
(USPS 650-640)
Valesente fired as Kansas football coach
Frederick says team must make progress
By CRAIG ANDERSON Staff writer
Kansas football coach Bob Valesente was fired yesterday by Athletic Director Bob Frederick. Valesente was offered a position as an associate athletic director, but he declined the offer.
Frederick said that he made the decision Sunday night after many weeks of deliberation.
See related stories p. 9 and 12.
"It was not an easy decision to make," he said at a news conference. "In recent days some have said this is an academic issue or an alumni-versus-faculty issue. It was an issue of progress of the football team on the field. In the last two years there
KUAC's chairman resigns in protest
By MIKE CONSIDINE
Staff writer
Anthony Redwood, chairman of the Kansas University Athletic Corporation for the last five years, announced his intention to resign yesterday to protest the firing of football coach Bob Valesente.
"It was an unprincipled decision, and I'm protesting it the only way I can," Redwood said. "I feel the integrity of the University itself is at stake. This is one aspect of the athletic program I feel I can't live with."
At a news conference in Summerfield Hall, Redwood announced that he had called an emergency meeting of the KUAC board at 3 p.m. today in the Phillips Room of the Adams Alumni Center. Redwood said that his resignation would be formally announced at that time.
Kansas Athletic Director Bob Frederick said, "I respect his opinion and his decision to do so if that's what he feels like he should do. He's given six years of outstanding service to
In a prepared statement, Redwood said that during the past decade, Kansas football had a history of revolving coaches and a quick-fix philosophy. He said that Valesente was denied the opportunity to see his program through to success.
"He should have been kept on at least for another year but preferably for the length of his contract," Redmond insisted the contract lasts two more years.
Although KUAC by-laws state that the decision to hire and fire coaches belongs to the athletic director, Redwood said that he thought the board should have been involved.
"I would have liked Bob Frederick to preferably have discussed it with the board last week when it was at issue," Redwood said. "If that was not possible, then at least he should
Basketball Hall of Fame, came to the Bullets at the same time as Manning, and they became close friends. Monster's league's rookie of the year in 1968.
"poken to the assembled board
"He was just a heckuva ballplayer," Manning said of the man known as "The Pearl." "People make a big deal out of the moves of the girls make now, but this guy could make some unbelievable moves. He's one of the great one-on-one players I've ever seen."
After three years with the Bulles, Manning played for the Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trailblazers. He then moved to the ABA, where he played for three years with Brown's Carolina Cougars. Manning's best season as a professional came in the 1973-74 season when he averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for the Cougars. He went on to play for the ABA's New York Nets and Indiana Pacers before retiring in 1976.
Manning said that he was a utility man of sorts during his basketball career.
After his playing days were over, Manning had lots of time to reflect on his career as he drove his truck across the country. But the thing that he thought about most was staying alive.
"I was the type of guy that was more or less a hustler," Manning said. "Some people called me 'the garbage man' because I always ended up playing the toughest guy defensively, I was the typical guy who would have to be filled, whether it was at forward or if I had to play center a couple of minutes. It didn't matter. I just wanted to play."
"There are so many things you think about," he said. "When you're out there driving, you're constantly thinking about living. You're constantly thinking about someone falling asleep, because I'd seen so many accidents. That stayed on my mind all the time."
Staying alive was also on his mind when he found out that he needed open-heart surgery, but his son said that was something his father kept to himself. Ed Manning isn't a man to wear his emotions on his sleeve.
"It was kinda rough," Danny Manny said of the ordeal. "My dad, he's quiet in a sense, but he's not. He's always been able to get his point across. When he had his triple bypass, he下盘服了 the whole body, and my sister. It was a big ordeal, but he didn't make it seem like it."
It wasn't until after Ed's surgery that Danny was beginning to feel comfortable playing games with his father watching. Through junior high and into much of his high school career, he was too nervous to play well when his dad attended his games.
"When Danny was in junior high, he was very intimidated by Ed being there, and he didn't play well," Darnelle Manning said. "In the 10th grade he couldn't play at all, and that's when Ed stopped coming to the games. When Ed was recovering from an injury, he'd dare you to come. You come see me play, and he hasn't had a problem with it since."
I was at that time, when Danny was a junior in high school, that he stopped pressing pressure on himself when he was played.
and I felt a lot more comfortable. I'm taking his approach to life, which is really laid back."
"I just tried to go out and do everything possible, which was very hard to do." Danny said. "After the surgery, he was at a lot of my games,
Since borrowing his father's approach to life, Danny Manning's basketball career has taken off. As a junior at Page High School, his team won 26 games without a loss and captured the North Carolina State championship. The School the following year, Manning's team finished second in the state.
But his high school accomplishments are shadowed in the glory of his college career. After being named Big Eight Conference Newcomer-of-the Year as a freshman, Manning was the conference's player-of-the-year in his sophomore and junior seasons, and is the pre-season pick for that honor and for national player-of-the year this season. He became one of only six Kansas basketball players to be named consensus All-America, and, in only three seasons, he is the all-time leading Kansas scorer, with 2,009 points.
After three years like that, Manning was tempted to move on to the NBA where he could receive more than recognition for such outstanding play. It was his decision, but he was strongly encouraged by his father to attend the other kindergarten teacher in Lawrence, a Lawrence school system, to stay at Kansas.
"I felt that after another year in school he would be older and wiser, and things would begin to fall into place for him," Darnelle Manning said. "I felt he needed four years of college to mature."
Ed Manning wanted him to stay in school to make his basketball career, and his career beyond that, more secure.
"I know that he needed to be stronger," the elder Manning said. "He's only going to be a basketball player for a short time no matter how good he gets. After that, it's over with; it could end the next time he walks on the court. Now, you can't get any kind of a job unless you have a college degree that you can make any money at."
If the past contracts signed by No. 1 draft picks, like the one signed earlier this month by Navy's David Robinson that reportedly will pay him $24 million over eight years, are any indication of what Danny has to do, the former defense will be the least of his worries. Ed Manning said that Brown's coaching had helped Danny to be the top college prospect he is today.
"I've seen so many guys that played that had the ability to be a pro player, but they just didn't know how to play," Ed Manning said. "With Coach's experience in the NBA and in the golf club, I am a coach, coaching. If you want to go further than college, I think he's one of the guys that can get you there."
"It doesn't really bother me," Ed Manning said. "I'm just proud that he's the caliber of player, that he's recognized all over the country. I just hope he can be one of the best players to ever play the game, and I think he can if he doesn't get to the point where he can't win. Don't think anyone can be a great player unless he's constantly trying to improve himself."
Barring the unforesseen, Danny Manning will get there. And the yellow brick road of Kansas has provided a much smoother ride than his father had trying to enter the league 20 years ago.
That's good advice from a man who knows what it takes to survive in professional basketball — and in life.
R KANSAN BASKETBALL PREVIEW November 23, 1987
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spoken to the assembled board ; time the decision was d."
Ed Manning stands in front of a painting of himself as a professional basketball player that a friend painted for him
PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T CLIP COUPONS;
PEOPLE WHO NEVER EAT OUT.
erick said, "From individual sations and from letters, I feel now where most of the people board stood on the issue."
nt board member Sue Glatter
'No students were consulted.
n't see out student opinion."
'n't have three student repultives.
**vood praised Valente's comit to recruiting freshmen foot-ayers who were capable stu-He said that Frederick didn't efficient consideration to Val's attention to academics.**
said, "We're coming situation where the previous and academic difficulties. Bob I hard to gain the respect of
See KUAC, p. 12, col. 5
Joe Wiltkins II/Special to the KANSAN's a news conference with his stions about his firing.
ieves
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