When Paul Rhoads recently watched tape of Iowa State’s game against Kansas in 2009, one thing kept running through his mind.

“I found myself getting mad at [ISU defensive coordinator] Wally [Burnham] when I watch the 2009 tape,” the ISU coach said with a laugh Monday. “There were some things that were done that were really simple that got [Kansas’ receivers] in space.”

The head coach of that Jayhawks squad was Mark Mangino, who Rhoads announced as Iowa State’s new offensive coordinator Monday to a 2-year contract. Mangino was the coach at Kansas from 2002-09 and implemented an offense in that time that carried the team to a 2008 Orange Bowl victory.

Mangino most recently served as associate head coach and tight end coach at Youngstown State, his alma mater, but served from 1991-09 as an assistant coach at Kansas State and Oklahoma before holding the head position at Kansas.

“I think the invaluable experience he brings as a head football coach, being a part of programs like Kansas and Kansas State in this league is exactly that, it’s invaluable,” Rhoads said. “The insight he brings in that regard to recruiting, to running a program, to developing things within and I think it’s great timing for that as well.”

After firing former ISU offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham on Dec. 1, just one day after the season ended, Rhoads targeted Mangino to fill the void, knowing he wanted his next coordinator to come from outside the program in order to bring fresh ideas to the team.

The relationship Rhoads said he had with Mangino before reaching out to him was nothing more than acquaintances, but he knew from studying his Kansas teams the toughness he saw from those groups were what Rhoads sees in his own team.

Getting Mangino to leave his position at Youngstown State would not be a quick process. Mangino went to school there and Rhoads said  that Mangino and his wife still have family in the area.

“I think he was having a lot of fun at Youngstown State,” Rhoads said. “I think the opportunity to jump back in the game at this level, and in this league, at the end really lit a fire under him. I think those embers are glowing pretty strong and he’s excited to get here and get going.”

Mangino’s tenure at Kansas ended on a sour note, however, when it was alleged he was mistreating his players and parted ways with the team. In Mangino’s hiring process for the Iowa State offensive coordinator job, Rhoads said that there wasn’t a player, administrator, coach or colleague that had anything negative to say about Mangino in terms of his concern for the well-being of student-athletes.

Rhoads also believes the time Mangino spent away from coaching did a lot for him.

“I think the time of reflection and a chance to evaluate and observe some other things,” Rhoads said of Mangino. “He’s travelled; he’s seen a lot of other programs. I think he’s at a very good point in his life because of those three years and where he’s at right now. We’ll benefit from that.”