Mitchell had better days as player and as a coach
By ROBERT STEVENS
UDK Manainga Editor
Early Thanksgiving Day, nine years ago, it was final. Jack Mitchell, then almost 34, was named as KU's new head football coach.
WHILE AT KU he compiled a 44-42-5 record. His tenure was the longest of any of 27 preceding coaches.
Saturday, on his 43rd birthday, it was announced that his tenure at KU was finished. The athletic board and Mitchell had agreed to cancel his contract on mutual terms.
In 1961, Mitchel, sporting his first winning season and KU's first bowl win—the Bluebonnet Bowl—was offered an unique contract. He was given a life-time job as a member of the physical education teaching staff and a ten year pact as head football coach.
Mitchell came to KU from Arkansas. At that time he got the fabulous sum of $15,000—$4,000 more than his predecessor, Chuck Mather.
Now that contract has been terminated following two consecutive losing seasons. This year the Jayhawks could not even muster strength to soundly defeat the K-State Wildcats. They settled for a tie.
Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Mitchell was a coach at Blackwell (Oklahoma) High School. His best season there was 9-1. He then traveled to Tulsa University, becoming line coach
for one year. The next two years were spent as line coach at Texas Tech.
"CACTUS JACK" was first considered for the head coaching job at KU in 1954. At that time he was head coach at Wichita. He moved to Arkansas a year later and held a long term contract when KU beckoned.
It has often been rumored that Mitchell was being considered for other coaching jobs. In 1962, after such a rumor persisted concerning Stanford University, Mitchell commented "My home is here at KU and I hope that it will always be here."
Mitchell opened his Big Eight football career at Oklahoma as a player, following a tour of duty with the army in World War II. He played his last two years under former Sooner boss, Bud Wilkinson.
A native Kansan, Mitchell was named All American his senior year. He presently holds two Big Eight records, most punt return yardage for a season and a career.
Mitchell sat in his home Saturday afternoon with Sports Editor Bob Hurt of the Topeka Capital and two Sports Illustrated writers, awaiting word from the Athletic Board. The word came around 6 p.m.
Another two hours were spent hassling out the final terms of the cancellation with the board and Mitchell's lawyer.
Several years ago Mitchell turned newspaper publisher when
he and his wife purchased the Wellington News. He said he plans to retreat to Wellington soon, to take an active position on the paper.
Daily Kansan Monday, December 5, 1966
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