Kansas football: Why Kevin Kane should be named the next head coach

Kansas football is set to make their fifth football head coaching hire in the past 12 years. While many names are being considered, there is one name that I believe stands above the rest: Kevin Kane.

Kane is currently the assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach at the University of Illinois. He joined them just two months ago in January 2021 under Bret Bielema – a former Jeff Long hire at Arkansas.

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Before Illinois, Kane was the defensive coordinator at SMU from 2018 to 2020. In 2019, the Mustangs led the nation in sacks per game (3.92) and were third in the country in tackles for loss (8.5 average).

Kane makes sense for KU for multiple reasons.

Recruiting

I’m not trying to come off as an ageist, but there is something about a young, energetic coach that I think just resonates well with college players. And Kevin Kane certainly has plenty of that.

You can feel that intensity and enthusiasm when watching this clip from Kane’s time as linebackers coach at KU in 2015.

He just appears like the type of coach players really love playing for. Even former Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley was advocating for his hire the other day.

Coaches these days need to be able to connect with recruits. They need to be active on social media and reach them where they’re at. Based on Kane’s Twitter presence, I’d say he’s got that covered.

Growing up as a Kansas City kid and playing football at nearby Rockhurst High School should allow Kane to easily make connections with local high school coaches. That will be key to having success with in-state recruiting and getting good, local players to come to KU.

His time spent at SMU should also help in recruiting. Dallas and the entire state of Texas is a football recruiting hotbed, especially in the Big 12, and he will have made many connections from his time spent with the Mustangs.

Despite the fact he is a young coach and only 37, Kane was named assistant head coach at Illinois immediately upon hire – a likely sign that he is being groomed to be a future head coach

Retaining Players and Assistants

The most important thing for Kansas to build toward the future is retaining the young, talented players they currently have.

This week, I wrote about how there is talent on this roster. To maintain that talent, they need to hold on to many of the assistants currently on staff, as they were many of the players’ primary recruiters.

Kane is the perfect candidate to do that because he’s young and he isn’t a head coach. He doesn’t have a staff that he has ready to bring with him.

He will likely be forced to retain many of the assistants, at least for 2021, and that’s good news because that will help retain the players they brought to this team.

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Cost

Another attractive aspect of hiring Kevin Kane is that he wouldn’t cost nearly as much as some of the other candidates that have been suggested.

Because he isn’t currently a head coach or a coordinator at a major program, it wouldn’t take much to lure him from Illinois. And whatever he received as a salary at KU would likely be a big bump compared to what he’s currently making there.

The Kansas Athletic Department is facing $30 million in revenue shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the program in a worse spot publicly than it maybe ever has been, donors are not likely chomping at the bit to fork over a lot of money to Jeff Long – who many no longer trust as AD – for this new hire.

Kevin Kane would be very inexpensive compared to other current head coaches that would require large salaries and possibly large buyouts from their current school.

Kansas Ties

Perhaps the quality that makes Kane the most attractive candidate for the job, is his ties to KU.

Kane is from Kansas City and played linebacker at Kansas from 2002 to 2005 under Mark Mangino. He was a two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honoree and was a captain during his senior year in 2005, helping lead KU to the Fort Worth Bowl that year, where they demolished the Houston Cougars 42-13.

After graduating, Kane stayed on at Kansas as a student assistant from 2006 to 2007, helping Kansas win the 2008 Orange Bowl. That experience playing and learning under arguably Kansas’ most successful coach is something that has contributed to his success as a coach thus far.

And being a Kansas alum, that will help him better connect with fellow alumni, fans, and donors – something that is critical towards building support for the program. His ties to KU could also mean he stays longer if he’s successful and won’t use this job as a stepping stone like many others might.

As a former Jayhawk, Kane would be an easy sell to the fanbase and create some goodwill for Kansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, who desperately needs it.

Having that previous connection to the university as a former player should only result in Kane working harder to turn this program around. With Kane having spent years at KU as a player and as a coach, we would have someone that was truly invested in the program, the university, and the Lawrence community.

At this critical juncture in Kansas football history, Kevin Kane is the right hire to make. It’s time to bring him home.