It appears that Kansas football has found its new head coach in Lance Leipold. The program could see noticeable growth from the former Buffalo coach in just a matter of years.
Leipold’s hire comes after a heated competition between names such as Jeff Monken, Willie Fritz, Kevin Kane, and most recently, Skip Holtz.
Making the move from Buffalo, Leipold held a record of 37-33 and landed three straight bowl appearances during his time in the MAC.
The decision by Kansas AD Travis Goff to finalize a hire before Kansas’ annual spring game was the right move, considering the level of anticipation by fans over the last few days.
Sources: Buffalo coach Lance Leipold has finalized a deal to become the head coach at Kansas. Deal is done. https://t.co/ypeLHET3Px
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 30, 2021
Kansas is coming off a winless season and the decision to part ways with the former head coach, Les Miles. Keep in mind, Miles was the guy they thought was going to fix this ship the last time around.
Leipold is the Jayhawks’ fifth head coach in the last decade. There is room for growth with KU’s program but the question remains, can he get it done?
Taking into account his run at Buffalo, Leipold is capable of success. However, this is the Kansas job. In the Big 12, nothing comes easy and it’ll be a much different scene than what he’s been used to for the last few years.
Plenty of eyes will be upon him in his first season, which will make a statement about where this program is heading into the future. Progress is a must in 2021, otherwise, it’ll be more uphill sledding for Kansas.
If by his first couple of seasons, he’s winning 4+ games, I think that’s an excellent start compared to what fans have been seeing.
Coming in, he’ll have a promising group of young players and motivated staff to work with. Between interim head coach Emmett Jones’ leadership and the progress being made this spring, there’s an opportunity to rebound in 2021.
It’ll be interesting to see Lance’s transition and fans should believe in his potential to make significant progress in Lawrence.