Our old friend Al Bohl is fighting for his professional life. Again.

Bohl is feeling the heat as athletic director at Kansas University both for strained relationships with some head coaches, one of whom is quite powerful, and in light of recently disclosed problems that may have existed under his watch at Fresno State.

In a recent column, Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star called for Bohl’s dismissal and referred to him as “Shallow Al,” which is the most apt description I’ve seen since a California scribe wrote that Bohl had “the street smarts of a librarian.”

Apparently, Bohl’s callow, phony-feeling “we’re-best-buds” song and dance is wearing thin in the heartland, just as it did at the University of Toledo, where Bohl served as athletic director from 1987-96.

He has been controversial at all stops and, of course, is best remembered in Toledo for executing the decision — maybe his, maybe not — to dismiss popular head football coach Dan Simrell, a move that many, including yours truly, thought was absurd.

With the gift of hindsight, and with all due respect to Simrell, who is a friend, I’m not so sure that was Bohl’s worst personnel move at UT.

I also blame him for creating a working atmosphere so polluted with naive expectations that Larry Gipson felt pressed into resigning his men’s basketball coaching job.

Bohl began ruffling feathers a year ago when he fired KU football coach Terry Allen in midseason. The big bird with the most ruffled feathers was Jayhawk basketball coach Roy Williams, who counts Allen among his friends. When Williams expressed his disappointment in the decision, Bohl fired back with a snip, I’m-the-boss, get-with-the-program response.

Williams apparently has elected to do otherwise, and a big athletic donor has since checked in and, well, Bohl’s future is dicey.

It is equally interesting that Mark Mangino, the football coach Bohl hired to replace Allen, and whom he rewarded with a contract extension after a 2-10 debut, has opted for silence with Bohl badly in need of a kind word.

Further fueling the fire are reports out of Fresno State, where Bohl spent five years as athletic director and gained kudos for regularly balancing the athletic budget. But it has since been alleged that Bohl did not so much balance the books as transfer money from one fund to another to make it appear so.

More recently, the NCAA sent investigators to Fresno State in response to allegations of academic fraud in the basketball program during the tenures of Bohl and — surprise — coach Jerry Tarkanian.

Academic fraud is among the most verboten of violations on any campus.

But on the KU campus, having Roy Williams in your corner, or at least owning the respect of the university’s highest-profile employee, is something an AD needs to be successful and remain employed.

Alas, Bohl may not be for long.