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Kansas football: Coaching continuity a plus for the Jayhawks heading into 2021 and Coach Miles’ third year with KU

By Dillon Davis

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Les Miles of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on during the second half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Les Miles of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on during the second half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas football coaching staff has only added one new face on the sidelines as they begin offseason preparations for the upcoming season. This consistency should benefit a young roster looking to make productive strides in 2021.

Over the past decade, Kansas football has seen five different head coaches. Each of those head coaches brought different coordinators and assistants that made it difficult for returning players to find consistent schemes and coaching from year to year.

However, the 2021 coaching staff will look almost identical to the staff we saw on the sidelines this past season, which should prove to be a benefit for this young, growing team.

Lee Grimes, previously serving as the offensive line coach at Charlotte, was announced as the new offensive line coach this week.

The program also had announced their extended contracts of defensive line coach Kwahn Drake and defensive backs coach Chevis Jackson, meaning Grimes could be the only new face on the staff for the upcoming season (barring any unforeseen changes between now and then).

This is significant because the success of this team in 2021 hinges largely upon the development of the numerous freshmen that saw early minutes this past season.

While the offensive line needed a change in direction, having similar positional coaching across the rest of the staff could allow for these impending sophomores the chance to get more comfortable in their roles in the systems the staff is trying to put in place on both sides of the field.

This also allows returning players to help coach the incoming freshmen.

Had the coaching changed in numerous position groups, the players in those groups would all in a sense of ‘starting from scratch’. Instead they’re familiar with their coaches, their style of play, and their system. This should allow for a quicker and smoother transition for incoming freshmen.

Make no mistake that the coaches, much like the players, need to perform better than they did in this past season. Despite the challenges ahead, the young roster, familiar faces, and a full offseason to prepare should only help this team build toward a brighter future.

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