NTDAILY: Kenneth Mangrum Article

Cerebus · November 7, 2002

It was a nice surprise to see Kenneth helping with the coaching during the Green-White game, his defense will be missed this year, hopefully he can teach it as well as he played it.

Link.

Eagle-96 · November 7, 2002

Stupid firewalls,

Any chance someone can post the article?

GMG!!!!

UNTLifer · November 7, 2002

Stupid firewalls,
Any chance someone can post the article?
GMG!!!!

Four-year letterman guard back on court as student assistant

Dario Aguilar

Sports Editor

November 07, 2002

When Johnny Jones graduated from Louisiana State University in 1985, Dale Brown, the head coach of the Tigers, offered him the option of coming back to the team to work as a student assistant.

Now the head coach of the Mean Green, Jones offered the same opportunity to former guard Kenneth Mangrum.

Mangrum, a four-year letterman for NT who graduated in August, accepted the job.

"I felt like I had an opportunity to learn some things and share some things [with my former teammates]," Jones said of assisting Brown and the coaching staff at LSU.

"Kenneth has brought that aspect here [while] being around working manager duties and at the same time watch basketball and watch for things that the team is doing on the court."

Mangrum, primarily known last season as a defensive specialist for NT, wanted to help with just that aspect this season as the Mean Green will try to rid itself of the low ranking it had last season in the Sun Belt.

While NT ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring, averaging 78.4 points per game, it ranked last in scoring defense, giving up 78.2 points per game to opponents.

"I'm just observing and putting my two cents in," Mangrum said.

"I'm kind of here being a motivator and doing whatever I can do to help on defense. If I see something that the coach didn't see then I will let [the player] know."

Sophomore guard Leonard Hopkins said that Mangrum's help as an assistant has been invaluable thus far.

"He was a defensive star for four years," Hopkins said.

"I played behind him last year and I learned from his game. He taught me how to get a good position on the player and not play so far off him."

Hopkins said that Mangrum's experience at the collegiate level has been something that the underclassmen have looked up to and respected.

"He's good to have around the team because he has been in the college game for four years," Hopkins said.

"He has helped us at the guard position because he has been here and played it."

Mangrum said that this season is much different for him than last year, no longer running drills and formations with his former teammates.

"I get flashbacks of last year, but I am glad I don't have to run lines anymore," Mangrum said with a chuckle.

"But it's kind of tough watching and being on the sidelines."

But the former guard who was next to the players on the court helping the Mean Green earn its first winning record in five years is still listened to, but in a different position on the court and with a whistle around his neck instead of a green practice jersey on his back.

"Last year he was a teammate and we joked around, but this year we have to take him seriously and look at him like a coach," Hopkins said.

"But he has earned that spot so we can't give him anything but respect."