Mark Mangino has the full support of his bosses as the Kansas University football coach tries to put the brouhaha about his tirade following last Friday’s Lawrence High football game behind him.

Both KU chancellor Robert Hemenway and athletic director Al Bohl issued statements Friday backing Mangino.

Hemenway said he had visited with the first-year head coach about the incident.

“I like Mark Mangino,” Hemenway said. “I think he’s a good father and a good football coach. I have every confidence he will represent KU with high integrity and that he will create high standards for himself and for the football program.”

Hemenway did not say if he took Mangino to the woodshed or meted out any other punishment in the wake of the flap. Neither did Bohl, whose comment more or less echoed the chancellor’s.

“Mark has sufficiently addressed that issue this week,” Bohl said in a statement released by the media relations office, “so now we are moving forward and concentrating on building a successful football program.”

Mangino admitted on his Thursday night call-in radio show he had erred when he lost his composure after his son, Tommy, Lawrence High’s quarterback, was hit hard late in the Olathe East game and was forced to go to the sidelines.

After the Lions’ 26-7 victory, Mangino was seen hollering and pointing fingers at the veteran Sunflower League officiating crew as they left the field. Later, Lawrence High officials said they had taken action believed to be a reprimand against Mangino because of the incident, a violation of Kansas State High School Activities Assn. sportsmanship rules.

On Tuesday and again on Wednesday, Mangino was given an opportunity to respond to the incident and each time he stated he was just trying to be a good father and take care of his son.

¢The Mangino/Lawrence High incidentSee the video, read an archive of related stories, see what readers are saying in our message boards and vote in a poll.¢You Make the Call: Watch a Video of the hit on Tommy Mangino

Mangino attended Friday night’s Lawrence High road game against Olathe South at Olathe District Activities Center. The coach and the KU football team travel to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane at 6 tonight.

Lawrence High’s next home game is against Olathe North. The game is Thursday night, so Mangino would not be prevented by KU football obligations from attending the 7:30 p.m. game if he were indeed handed only a reprimand by LHS officials.

Principal Dick Patterson, citing school confidentiality policies, reported only that he took “appropriate action” involving the incident.