Kansas University defensive tackle Eric Butler has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA and is no longer on the Jayhawk football team.

Butler’s appeal was denied after his initial petition for more eligibility also was rejected, according to sources.

The struggle between Butler and the NCAA has been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and Kansas coaches knew during the 2005 season that getting more eligibility for Butler would be a drawn-out process with the NCAA.

It didn’t work. Butler appears to be a tough-luck loser, though, because of where he started his schooling. Not planning on playing college football after finishing high school at Kansas City (Mo.) Northeast in 2001, Butler decided to enroll at DeVry Institute to study computer programming.

There, the NCAA contends, his athletic eligibility clock started. Since a college athlete usually has five years to complete four seasons of play, Butler only had until the end of 2005 to finish any sport he chose, based of his enrollment at DeVry, a business school in Kansas City, Mo., that offers no collegiate sports.

Butler later transferred to Avila University, where he played one year at the NAIA school as a tight end before walking on at Kansas. He participated in spring drills last year at KU before earning a spot as a backup defensive tackle on the ’05 team, picking up 12 tackles and two sacks while playing in all 12 games.

Butler perhaps will be remembered most for sacking Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor in the end zone last season for a safety, putting the Jayhawks ahead 26-15. KU went on to win, 40-15, breaking a 36-game losing streak to the Huskers – a milestone victory in Kansas football.

Attempts to reach Butler on Friday were unsuccessful. A 6-foot-2, 300-pounder, Butler participated in spring drills this year as the eligibility question remained unanswered.

Word of his initial petition being denied surfaced during the spring, and the KU coaching staff appealed the decision with more information they felt was favorable toward reinstatement.

Perhaps sensing that Butler wasn’t going to be back, though, the coaching staff released a post-spring depth chart in April and didn’t list Butler on it.

Regardless, the tackle position might be the one of the deepest on KU’s defense. Wayne Wilder and James McClinton are projected to be starters, while Caleb Blakesley, Todd Haselhorst and Chris Brant all could see playing time as reserves.

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Jarosky Leaves: It turns out former football trainer Carol Jarosky is not changing positions within the athletic department.

Jarosky originally had planned to move into the Aquatic Rehabilitation Center after four years as head football trainer. Instead, she recently accepted a job at DonJoy, a Vista, Calif., sporting goods company that specializes in injury-related sports equipment.

Former Oklahoma State trainer and strength coach Murphy Grant was hired to replace Jarosky.

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Mangino Recognized: Collegefootballnews.com compiled a list of the Top 50 college football “coaches you’d hire.”

KU coach Mark Mangino made the list at No. 47, with the Web site saying “from last December’s first bowl win in a decade to the new $31 million football facility : there’s something positive happening in Lawrence. And Mangino : has been the catalyst.”

The Big 12 has nine coaches on the list. Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops ranks highest at No. 2, just behind Southern Cal’s Pete Carroll.