OK, so have read that once the "investigation" is over, then Mangino will have 21 days to respond, and then there is another hearing for the final determination.
I'd wager that if Mangino believes that Lew is definitely going to fire him either way, then Mangino will allow the full 21 days to lapse...thus sticking it to Lew. He's going to "die on his feet rather than live on his knees" as he said.
The question is whether Lew is willing to let this thing drag out that long. I suppose if Lew really thinks he has a good case to fire Mangino for cause, it's worth $8 million to Lew to let this thing play out for as long as it needs to. However, if Lew's case is shaky, then all he'll be doing is screwing up a year's worth of recruiting AND allowing other coaching candidates to be potentially snatched up elsewhere.
Am I understanding this thing correctly?
if Lew were to fire for cause, mangino will appeal. the decision goes to a board- one rep from ku, one rep from the regents, and one rep that mangino appoints. they decide whether Lew was in the right. if he was right, then mangino is gone. if he was wrong, then i believe mangino keeps his job (which would equal the value of his contract, no way ku could keep him around), and sue for damages.
this is a bet that Lew is unwilling to take, imo. the stakes are too high and his case is probably too shaky, hence the need to continue to throw Mangino under each and every bus in the midwest that Lew can hire to drive through lawrence.
this really is a much bigger problem for ku then the whole prince debacle. which may, in the end, look like peanuts compared to what mangino takes with him when he leaves.
