Kansas football: Jayhawks players, fans react to Lance Leipold's return announcement

The Jayhawk faithful was ecstatic after Lance Leipold revealed he would not take the Washington football head coaching job
Oklahoma State v Kansas
Oklahoma State v Kansas / Ed Zurga/GettyImages
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Panic had run amok in the Kansas football fanbase when reports surfaced that Lance Leipold was in contention for the Washington Huskies head coaching job. However, the Jayhawks' leader announced he is staying put in Lawrence for years to come.

Minutes after Football Scoop posted an article that he had become the top candidate for UW, Leipold dispelled the rumors with a tweet on X. "The guys come back to campus tomorrow," referring to the return of KU football players on campus with the spring semester approaching. "Can’t wait to get back to work with them in ‘24!! Rock Chalk!!"

This was not the first time Leipold had to release a public statement regarding his future with the program. He signed a contract extension when he was in the midst of talks with Nebraska and Wisconsin in 2022, and he reaffirmed his plan to finish his career at KU when his name was circling around Michigan State in November.

Needless to say, fans and players alike were thrilled to hear he would be back in 2024 and likely many years to follow. Some current and past Jayhawks took their thoughts to social media when the news became official.

The highest-rated high school recruit in school history and one of two commits in the 2025 class expressed their faith in their future coach.

Kenny Logan Jr. and Rich Miller, who ran out of eligibility after the Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory, showed gratitude for Kansas and Leipold.

The hero against Texas in 2021 and one of the defense's incoming transfers also tweeted support.

Finally, here are some of the best reactions we gathered from Jayhawk fans on social media.

With Leipold at the helm for the foreseeable future, the outlook of the Kansas football program remains brighter than ever. The team is heading into the next campaign with unprecedented expectations in the new-look Big 12.

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