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When Bob Stoops assembled his first coaching staff with the Oklahoma Sooners over 15 years ago, current Iowa State offensive coordinator Mark Mangino was a big part of the puzzle for the legendary Sooners coach.
"His football knowledge,” Stoops said when asked what about Mangino made him such a huge addition to his first coaching staff, via Jason Kersey of NewsOK.com. “His leadership. His character. His work ethic. Toughness. Everything."
Now as a member of the Cyclones, Mangino has morphed a once-inept offensive attack into a humming machine that dropped 45 points on Texas two weeks ago.
“The kids really care,” said Mangino, OU’s offensive coordinator during the course of the program's 2000 national championship season.
“They’re really focused. They’re locked in.”
Mangino is working with his son, Tommy, who is the Cyclones' current wide receivers coach.
“This is the most time we have spent together probably since he was in preschool,” Mangino said.
Family ties aside, Mangino earned the respect of the Sooners back in 2000 and continues to do so during the present day.
“(Mangino is) as good a coach as there is,” OU offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. Heupel played quarterback for Mangino during Oklahoma's 2000 title run.
“I have a ton of respect for what he’s been able to do in his tenure, in particular what he did at Kansas in turning that program around. … He’s a great mind and demands nothing but the best of his players.”
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