The Kansas football campaign recently came to a close in disappointing fashion. While the Jayhawks provided some false hope down the stretch, KU eventually missed bowl eligibility and finished 5-7 in what was the most highly anticipated season in recent history.
While offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes drew criticism on the sidelines amid the Jayhawks’ struggles, the defense was also underwhelming all year. Defensive coordinator Brian Borland had been rumored to be on his way out for quite some time, and he recently announced his retirement. Lance Leipold decided to promote co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach DK McDonald.
Kansas football promotes DK McDonald to become new DC
Many people expected Leipold to search for a new defensive coordinator from a different school — particularly Texas A&M's Jordan Peterson — but he decided to make an internal hire and promote one of his top defensive assistants. The former Seattle Seahawks aide will be tasked with calling defensive plays in 2025 and potentially onward.
McDonald has experience in both the NFL and college football. He primarily worked as a defensive backs coach in the NCAA, spending time at Edinboro, IUP, William & Mary, Toledo, and Iowa State before departing for the pros. He was the assistant defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles before heading to Kansas in the offseason.
The Jayhawks surrendered an alarming 42.2 and 35.5 points per game in Borland's first two seasons at KU. While that number improved the next two years, the defense made inexplicable mistakes on multiple occasions late in games, including against Arizona State, West Virginia, and UNLV in the closing stages.
Borland ends his football career with 40 years of experience, including 20 at Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he initially met Leipold. He coached 17 All-Big 12 selections and two NFL Draft picks with the Jayhawks.
McDonald has an extensive history as a defensive coach and is certainly qualified for the job. Kansas fans can only hope he wasn’t too involved with the schemes the Jayhawks utilized in 2024, because the defense clearly needs a different look from what Borland was calling.