KU football coach Mark Mangino fielded questions about a recent meeting between football players and Athletic Director Lew Perkins at his weekly Tuesday press conference at the Anderson Family Football Complex.

The Kansas University football program and its coach soon will be under review.

KU confirmed Tuesday that it had launched an internal investigation concerning football coach Mark Mangino, an action the Journal-World has learned was prompted by the concerns of a current player and others with ties to the program.

During a Monday night meeting that included Athletic Director Lew Perkins and members of the football team — but not Mangino — Perkins informed players that the investigation would be handled by an unbiased source, KU quarterback Todd Reesing said Tuesday. Lori Williams, associate athletic director/risk management, has been selected to lead the investigation.

“I can confirm an internal review is under way,” Perkins said in a quote released by the school Tuesday. “It involves a personnel matter and, as a result, is confidential. It would be inappropriate for me to provide further information right now.”

The meeting, first reported by the Journal-World, was sparked when Mangino allegedly poked KU senior linebacker Arist Wright in the chest several weeks ago, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Wright later went to Perkins with concerns about the coach.

During his weekly meeting with the media Tuesday, Mangino said he’d had a 10- to 15-minute meeting with Perkins, though he declined to give specifics.

A university spokesperson, meanwhile, said there’s no timetable as to the conclusion of the investigation.

Mangino, who took over at KU in 2002 and last fall signed a contract extension through 2012, is 50-46 overall at Kansas and just two victories shy of tying A.R. Kennedy’s school record of 52 victories from 1904-10. KU has two games remaining in the 2009 regular season — Texas on Saturday, followed by Missouri on Nov. 28.