David Hookstead
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Kansas football coach Lance Leipold is doing his best to convince fans he’s not going anywhere.
Leipold is believed by many to be one of the top targets for the Wisconsin Badgers after Paul Chryst was fired. His name has also been constantly floated for the Nebraska job.
The Kansas coach, who is a Wisconsin native, finally broke his silence on the firing of Chryst, and it sounds like he thinks it’s a bit of an unfortunate situation.
“Paul Chryst is a friend. I’ve known Paul since probably high school. His late father tried to recruit me. It’s a good family, good man and it’s just unfortunate that guys who average nine wins a year get let go. But it’s part of, I guess, what we’ve signed up for now these days and it’s a changing world in a lot of different ways. And that’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate for the locker rooms, and I think we lose that as well. There are a lot of components and I’m not questioning anyone’s decision, because there are a lot of factors that go into these that none of us really know. But that’s me as a person and a fan, not as a coach,” Leipold told the press Tuesday when discussing the opening in Madison, according to 247Sports.
Lance Leipold is doing his best to convince Kansas fans he’s not going anywhere.
Leipold also wants Kansas fans to believe he’s not leaving Lawrence after just two seasons, despite the national interest in him.
“It was a quick mention and anything after that is, to me, wasted time with our team because we’re focused on this, I’m focused on this, we’re extremely happy here we have no plans of going anywhere,” Leipold said when addressing whether or not he’s talked to the Jayhawks about all the speculation swirling around him.
While Leipold might want Kansas fans to remain calm and believe he’s not going anywhere, he’s quickly become one of the top coaching targets in America.
With Kansas 5-0 and having the program’s best season in 13 years, it’s easy to understand why power programs are interested. The Jayhawks are on fire thanks to his coaching.
The Jayhawks will struggle to keep Leipold.
If you can win at Kansas, you can win anywhere. The problem for the Jayhawks is no matter what Kansas offers Leipold, bigger schools can offer more. Nebraska and Wisconsin both have much deeper pockets and the ability to recruit at a much higher level.
Will Lance Leipold remain at Kansas? Time will tell, but fans of the Jayhawks shouldn’t get too comfortable. It’s going to be very hard for him to say no to all the money that is going to be thrown his way. After all, this is America. People like money.
Whether it’s Nebraska, Wisconsin or somewhere else, Lance Leipold is going to get some huge offers to leave Lawrence. No matter what he says right now changes that fact.
I’ll repeat a line that Jim Grobe used when he had Wake Forest going strong … and kind of the same philosophy that Dave Clawsn is employing now with his success …. “A man can live very well in Winston-Salem NC on $2-3,000,000/year.” While that might sound absurd to the average Joe … Jim / Dave are talking about high profile college FB coaches.
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Not everyone will change jobs for simply “more $$$” … most might, but not everyone. I bet Leipold is of the Grobe / Clawson type.
Normally I would agree with you on this one BobLee, but I think being a Wisconsinite might be the factor more than the money if he were to take a possible offer from Wisconsin. Personally I’d love to see him stay at Kansas. I’m not saying I think he could turn Kansas into a yearly powerhouse, but once upon a time Miami-Fla was a nothing-burger football school until Howard Schnellenberger came along. Just sayin’.
Word. The fact Kansas is in a power 5 conference and playoff expansion is on the horizon may work in the favor of Kansas fans. Texas & OU are leaving but the Big XII will still have decent competition for strength of schedule. If you can win the Big XII semi-consistently you are in the playoffs. Reasonable pay and trips to the CFP may be enough to keep him but you never know.
If Leonhard can develop CEO skills quick enough to squeeze 6-7 Ws out of this train wreck situation he should get the gig full time. I’m sure Barry Alvarez (yes, “Barry” is still lurking around Camp Randall) will be hoping that is the case. Suddenly managing one’s former peers is a challenge in any organization. Leonhard for all his strengths has never done that.
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True dat, but a man can also live very well in Lincoln, NE for $7M/yr. I would imagine Kansas has enough money to boost his salary by a couple million, but it probably won’t be enough if bigger programs come calling with offers that are too good to refuse.
He could decide to leave money on the table and build his own brand/legacy at Kansas, but odds are he takes another job. Most everyone would leave their current job for another if the price is right.
Nebraska has no chance to get him..They were relevant when they were in the Big12 and should go back to be relevant again. They are cannon fodder for the Big 10. They never fit in and never will. They only people that think Nebraska is relevant are alumni and cattle ranchers. Wisconsin has a chance because of roots and they are a true big 10 member. Not a money chaser.
Wisconsin just fired a coach—a good dude who was a credit to them on and off the field—because he started 2-3.
Chryst was winning nine or ten games a year and they bounced him after one tough start.
If I’m Lance Leipold I want the authority to run the program the way I see fit and I want the support from my AD and fans to see it through even if there are some dry patches.
He’s clearly got that at Kansas.
If he goes somewhere else and gives is all, does he really have the confidence he’s going to be allowed to see it through? After how they treated Christ and Pelini and Solich?
He stays at Kansas he can do it his way without looking over his shoulder, and they’ll build him a statue. I think he stays.
Wisconsin is among 3-4 Big Time CFB programs I follow (NOTE: I’m NOT obsessed with UW like David is!) … I hope Leonhard gets the gig full time and suspect that he will. If not, Leipold certainly checks a lot of boxes for UW. … That said, I hope he stays in Lawrence and makes KU a steady 7-8-9 W program which should keep most KU “adults” happy considering their past 15+ years of being a punchline program. …. and I also hope Dave Clawson stays at Wake Forest for many of the same reasons..
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UW is closer to “becoming a Nebraska” than the Jump Around folks will ever admit. IF Leonhard can develop CEO skills quick enough he could maybe reverse that destiny. Those who think Chryst got a raw deal don’t follow the UW program close enough. It was time.