More than the money, perhaps, it was the message.

Kansas University athletic director Lew Perkins frequently brought up the phrase – sending a message – when discussing football coach Mark Mangino’s five-year contract extension, which was finalized and made public Thursday.

Mangino will receive $1.5 million yearly in guaranteed money through 2010 – about 21â2 times the amount of his last deal – according to terms of the agreement. The new contract was retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006, and will last through Dec. 31, 2010.

Perkins thinks the deal will put a lot of pessimistic rumors to rest: whether the athletic director wanted to hire his own coach, or whether unsettled NCAA violations within the program would reflect poorly on Mangino’s job security.

“The thing that I kind of get a kick out of is, ‘Is he a Perkins guy? Is he a Perkins guy?'” Perkins said of Mangino, who was hired at KU in 2001 before Perkins’ arrival. “That was never a question. That was never even a thought in my mind. At least we can put that comment to bed now.

“Mark is our guy. He’s our coach. He’s done a great job.”

Perkins and Mangino have been in negotiations since the spring, and both agreed that the goal was to get the new deal hammered out before Saturday’s season opener against Northwestern State.

KU coach Mark Mangino argues for a touchdown in the Jayhawks' victory last season over Iowa State. That win helped the Jayhawks earn a bid to the Fort Worth Bowl, and that postseason appearance no doubt helped Mangino land a contract extension, which was announced Thursday.

Both admitted talks may have gone a little longer than desired. But in the 11th hour, the hard deadline was met.

“I just felt like I have to focus on winning football games,” Mangino said. “The players come first. That’s just the way we want it to be. It’s not fair to the players to deal with an issue that has nothing to do with them winning or losing.”

Mangino will get a base salary of $220,000, with another $1.28 million guaranteed for “professional services rendered.” That includes endorsements, radio and television work and other public-relation engagements.

More money can be made through incentives, as much as $650,000 if all are met.

“Anytime you have any contract of any kind, and both parties walk away thinking that it’s a good deal, that’s important,” Perkins said. “Obviously, Mark feels very comfortable with me and the university, and I feel very comfortable with him.”

Prior to this new deal, Mangino’s guaranteed money barely topped $600,000, easily the lowest compensation in the Big 12 Conference. He now jumps up to a tie for fifth – behind Texas’ Mack Brown, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Texas A&M’s Dennis Franchione and Texas Tech’s Mike Leach, and on par with Nebraska’s Bill Callahan.

“It’s what we think we should pay our coach at this particular time,” Perkins said. “I think this is kind of what a lot of good coaches are making.”

Perkins cited season-ticket sales, bowl appearances and an overall excitement level in why Mangino is deserving of the big raise. KU’s average attendance last season was a new record, and the season-ticket sales record was broken this year.

“People are really starting to look at football as an important part of the whole KU experience,” Perkins said. “To me, that’s important.”

If Mangino stays for his entire contract, he’ll be KU’s coach for nine years, which would tie for the longest-tenured coach in the program’s history. Most recently, Glen Mason spent nine seasons in charge of the Jayhawks.

That was just one of the goals both sides sought when talking toward a new contract. And now that it’s done, Perkins feels the point has been made.

“I think the message,” Perkins said, “is that he’s part of our family and we want him here for a long time.”