Kansas football Coach Glen Mason is under...

Kansas football Coach Glen Mason is under fire for admittedly striking his players, but Jayhawk Athletic Director Bob Frederick said: “I really believe he has the players’ best interests at heart. He just wants them to be tough. It’s a tough game.”

Kyle Schenker, a linebacker who quit the team after spring drills, said he had seen players struck “many times” by Mason and his assistant coaches.

Mason said: “I think hit is a misleading word. If you say have I ever put my hands on a player, I’d have to say yes. But if I have ever struck anyone hard, I haven’t.

“I didn’t do that for any other reason than to make a point. It might have been a bad way to make a point.”