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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 hadn't been an improvement."
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 $ 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," Redwood said. Valeente's contract lasts two more years.
Redwood said that Frederick told him of the decision at 8 p.m. Sunday. Redwood said that he phoned the KUAC board to call the meeting after a second conversation with Frederick.
Although KUAC by-laws state that the decision to hire and fire coaches belongs to the athletic director, Redmond should be involved. 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
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Kansas assistant coach Ed Manning instructs freshman forward Mike Maddox in one of the many plays Maddox will have to learn as part of the Jahwak program.
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A second chance . . .
Coaching job brings health, happiness to Ed Manning
when Ed Manning left his home in North Carolina four years ago for
Story by Darrin Stineman Photos by L.A. Rauch
a coaching job with Kansas, it was more than just a good career move. It may have saved his life.
6 KANSAN BASKETBALL PREVIEW November 23, 1987
The stress and lack of exercise associated with his job as a truck driver was slowly gnawing away at his health. After five years behind the wheel, the long hours and greasy spoon restaurants caught up with him.
leaving and Brown said that he got the idea of带领 the job to Manning from Manning's friend, Gene Littles, when he was talking to Littles on the phone about recruiting Manning's son, Danny Littles, who was an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz at the time, had played with Manning under Brown when Brown was the coach of the ABA's Carolina Cougars.
With Brown, his former coach in the American Basketball Association, being hired at Kansas, something became available. After a few months under Brown, Kansas assistant coach Jo Do White left the team.
When Manning was recovering during the summer of 1983, he received a telephone call from Larry Brown, Kansas' new basketball coach, offering job as an assistant coach.
In November 1982, Manning, a nine-year veteran of professional basketball, underwent triple bypass surgery to clear clogged arteries near his heart.
"I was really glad to hear from him," Manning said. "I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep driving that truck because of the health hazards associated with it." He said he didn't know of that truck, but I didn't know what was available.
"It was something I had to think about for a day or two," Manning said. "People don't realize how driving can be so tiresome. It's so tiresome. It's just a rugged job, the health hazards are so bad.
It couldn't have come at a better time.
suffer a tough loss. Brown was less concerned with what Manning was leaving behind than what he was bringing to Kansas. Brown knew that Manning had years of basketball experience to offer. He also knew that his son was Danny Manning, who was about to begin his senior season at Greenbrook's Page High School, where he had made a name for himself as one of the most highly regarded players in the nation.
"that's why I was glad when Coach Brown asked me to come. One reason was I wanted to get back into basketball, and another was I wanted to get out of that truck because it was such a rough job," he said.
6
But Danny wasn't a part of the deal, the elder Manning said. "I knew that Coach
"I knew that Coach Brown was recruiting Danny." Manning said. "Just about everybody."
Ed Manning's wife, Darnelle, said that Danny was under no obligation to play at Kansas.
was recruiting Danny. He told me he wanted Danny to be on the team. I knew coming out to this program that it would be good to have someone on the team like Danny. I was just glad that Danny decided to go to school at
"spoken to the assembled board time the decision was d."
"When Danny came to Lawrence, he knew he had the opportunity to go anywhere he wanted to," she said. "He had the opportunity, he liked it and he was happy here."
When the Mannings invaded, not everyone was convinced that Ed Manning was hired on his own merit. With Danny, one of the nation's top high school prospects, moving into Brown's backyard, the rumors were rampant that it was he, and not his father, who was being hired.
father, who was being hired
Brown said that those conclusions
were blown out of proportion.
"I was afraid to (hire Ed) because we were recruiting Danny." Brown said. "It struck me as kind of funny when the news media said he was just a truck driver; they didn't realize he had played under him, I never denied that, but something it is, it but it was a ridiculous thing because people didn't understand that we had known each other beforehand."
Manning said that the conclusions being drawn by the media were to be expected.
"It itd bother me at all, because I knew before I came out here that we would be saying things like that," said Manning, who was an assisct coach at North Carolina during the 1977-78 season. "Youve got to realize that people are going to say what they want to say. If
"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 playing." Danny said, recovering from the operation, Danny said, "I dare you to come. You come see me play," and he hasn't had a problem with it since."
you know in your heart that you did the right thing, then there's nothing for you to worry about."
"I wasn't too hot on it at first, in a selfish manner." Danny Manning said. "The fact that it was pulling me out of school and taking me away from a lot of things bothered me. From the family standpoint, it was great. It was a better move financially, and it worked out for the best."
While the move to Kansas erased many of the worries from Ed Manning's mind, his son was less enchanted with the idea of coming
A after four years at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. Ed Manning was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the second round of the National Basketball Association draft. Being drafted, he said, was a goal, but making the team was a dream.
"Come out of, Jackson State, there weren't that many guys being drafted from the South at that time," he said. "I just hoped to be one of the lucky ones that was drafted and went to the right team at the right time."
The Bullets proved to be the right team for Manning, Earl Monroe, who recently was nominated to the
erick said, "From individual sands and from letters, I feel now where most of the people board stood on the issue."1
ont board member Sue Glatter
'No students were consulted.
'n't seek out student opinion'
'n' has three student repetatives.
wood praised Valesente's sentent to recruiting fresh foot-ayer们 who were capable stu-
He said that Frederick didn't efficient consideration to Val's attention to academics.
then 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
when students did not lock tally that is when students are s.
Joe Wilkinson III/Special to the KAN
s a news conference with his
stions about his firing.
nieves
er, that auto burglaries and quently when students were ing their cars. Every time ip to load valuables in their k the car afterward, he said. students should never load the they go home.
ables, such as a stereo, from a an overreaction, Fliaig said. students' valuations were safe worth the effort of loading and
1g travel
entral Nebraska and western snow today.
*x*, but a couple of inches (of the question) " said John *y*, Kan., senior, a member of
. Louis area, the panhandle of
hern Texas were expecting
st is uncertain, Dolus said, that snow will fall in central of showers developing in the weather service operates a
eft for students traveling by
already made their reserva-
Travel Service representative
are mostly gone," she said, left, but they're more expen-