Archive for the KU Football Category

DeMontie Cross completes Weis’ staff

Posted on: January 19th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Cross rounds out Weis' staff

LAWRENCE, Kan. – DeMontie Cross was hired by Kansas football head coach Charlie Weis Thursday to coach the Jayhawk linebackers, as Weis completed his coaching staff at KU. Cross, who recently finished his first season as special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Wisconsin, arrives at Kansas with experience on both the collegiate and NFL level.

Prior to his year at Wisconsin, Cross spent the previous five seasons in various positions with the Buffalo Bills. He joined the Bills as a defensive/special teams assistant in 2006 and was then promoted to assistant linebackers coach/special teams for three seasons. In 2010 Cross was promoted again, coaching the Bills’ inside linebackers.

Cross made the jump to the NFL after spending the 2001-05 seasons as Iowa State’s outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Cross’ unit made major contributions to the Cyclones’ record-setting defenses during his stint. He helped develop Jeremy Loyd into an All-Big 12 performer, who went on to play for the St. Louis Rams.

Cross spent the 2000 season coaching a defensive backfield at Sam Houston State that ranked second nationally (FCS). Cross’ Sam Houston State pass defense was led by free safety Keith Davis, who was the Southland Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and started the 2005 season for the Dallas Cowboys at safety.

Cross, a St. Louis native, began his coaching career as the outside linebackers coach at his alma mater, Missouri (1998-99).

A 1997 Missouri graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business management, Cross made 415 career tackles at free safety for the Tigers from 1994-96. He led Missouri in tackles as a junior and senior and earned second-team all-conference honors from the Big Eight in 1995 and the Big 12 in 1996.

Cross has two daughters, Jadyn and Sheridan.

With the hiring of Cross, Weis’ Kansas football coaching staff is complete and includes the following: Jeff Blasko (assistant special teams coordinator/tight ends), Clint Bowen (special teams coordinator/defensive backs), Dave Campo (defensive coordinator/defensive backs), Tim Grunhard (offensive line), Rob Ianello (recruiting coordinator/wide receivers), Reggie Mitchell (running backs), Ron Powlus (quarterbacks) and Buddy Wyatt (defensive line).

What Weis, Campo mean for Kansas

Posted on: January 14th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Photo courtesy of the Star-Telegram

I have been doing some thinking about this Campo hire. While I have no clue if he is going to do anything for this team, I have determined that I absolutely love it. He is a perfect match for Weis. Exactly what he was looking for. Campo will be an extension of Weis himself (except on the defensive side).

Campo is a football veteran. A football junkie. He’s the kind of guy that has survived and continued to coach for a very long time at every level of the game. Like Weis, he will probably have his own “decided schematic advantage” over most coaches he faces.

He’s also old. Some would say washed up. There are questions about how well he can relate to recruits. How well he can adapt his style to the college game — a place where he will have far less time to prepare his players for a game.

In other words, he is exactly like Weis.

If you have read this blog for a while, you might remember that I wanted Zenger to hire someone safe. I even said that I wanted him to hire “our Bill Snyder.”  A relatively unknown up-and-comer sounded about right.  Someone that would grind and put in the work to get us back on the map. Probably not quickly. And certainly not with fire in a bottle.

Instead, Zenger went all-in. He threw caution to the wind and chased a monster name. To steal another K-State reference, he hired Bob Huggins, not Bill Snyder. At the time, the Wildcats were desperate to be relevant in basketball. It isn’t all that much different here with our beloved football program.

I don’t know about you, but if there is one place I’m fine with gimmicks, it’s Kansas football. We are rarely going to be able to stack up to many Big 12 schools when it comes to pure talent. We must thus find our competitive advantage elsewhere. Whether we like it or not, we are the Boise State to the Oklahoma. We need the statue of liberty, the hook and lateral, and all the other fun gadgets to win games against Goliath.

The Weis hire is a gadget play. Same with Campo. They are incredibly high risk (both in the competitive sense and the pocket book), but they’re also incredibly high reward. Sometimes the gadget plays work. Sometimes they dig you an even deeper hole.

After much reflection, I’m really happy with Zenger’s play call. Also happy Weis is willing to be as bold as his boss. If anything, we have a relevant football program that people are really interested in talking about.

I just hope the play works.

Weis taps Dave Campo as Defensive Coordinator

Posted on: January 13th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Dave Campo has been hired as KU's new DC

Dave Campo is the new defensive coordinator for the Kansas football team. Here’s KU’s official press release:

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Dave Campo, a veteran coach who has experienced major success at every level of the game, was named defensive coordinator at the University of Kansas Friday. Campo will also coach the defensive backs as a member of first-year KU head coach Charlie Weis’ staff.

Campo, who spent the first 18 years of his coaching career in the collegiate ranks, was the secondary coach on Jimmy Johnson’s University of Miami staff for two seasons (1987-88). During his two seasons in Miami, the Hurricanes posted a 23-1 overall record and won the 1987 National Championship. Additionally, safety Bennie Blades was the 1987 Jim Thorpe Award winner before being selected with the third pick in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

A standout defensive backs coach, Campo then began his NFL coaching career as he was hired by Dallas as an original member of Johnson’s first Cowboys staff in 1989. He has 23 years of coaching experience in the NFL with 18 of those coming with the Cowboys. He has also held assistant coaching positions with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Campo played a key role in the development of Dallas teams that made eight playoff trips, won six division titles and claimed three Super Bowl titles. He began his career in Dallas coaching the secondary (1989-94) and then was promoted to defensive coordinator (1995-99) before working his way up to the head coaching position for the Cowboys, a post he held for three seasons from 2000 to 2002.

During his tenure in Dallas, he helped the team win consecutive Super Bowl championships in 1992 and 1993 and again in 1995.

In four of the five years that Campo directed the Dallas defense as coordinator, the Cowboys finished the year among the NFL’s top-10 units, including a pair of top-three finishes. As the coordinator of the Cowboys defense, Campo helped guide the careers of some of the 1990s most dynamic defensive players – including Pro Bowlers Charles Haley, Darren Woodson, Deion Sanders, Tony Tolbert, Leon Lett, Russell Maryland and Dexter Coakley.

Prior to becoming defensive coordinator in 1995, Campo directed a secondary that had grown into one of the team’s most productive units. His 1994 squad led the NFL in pass defense and coached strong safety Darren Woodson to All-Pro honors in 1995.

Most recently, Campo returned to the Cowboys where he spent the past four seasons (2008-11) working with the secondary. During that time he coached two players, Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins, to Pro Bowl appearances.

Prior to moving back to Dallas, Campo spent three seasons as the secondary coach and assistant head coach for Jack Del Rio’s defense in Jacksonville. In each of his three years in Jacksonville, Campo’s secondary either set – or exceeded – club records for interceptions.

In his final season with the Jags, Campo helped guide the club to an 11-5 record and a wildcard berth in the playoffs. Jacksonville defeated Pittsburgh in an opening round road win before bowing out to the eventual undefeated AFC Champion Patriots in Foxborough. Under Campo, Rashean Mathis became the first Jaguars cornerback to be voted to the Pro Bowl as he tied for third in the NFL with a team-record eight interceptions in 2006.

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Campo served as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns for two seasons (2003-2004). Under his guidance the 2003 Browns defense finished with the club’s best overall performance in 10 seasons.

Campo began his coaching career at his alma mater, Central Connecticut State, where he spent the 1971-72 seasons. He then moved to the University of Albany (1973), Bridgeport (1974), the University of Pittsburgh (1975), Washington State (1976), Boise State (1977-79), Oregon State (1980), Weber State (1981-82), Iowa State (1983) and Syracuse (1984-86). In addition to starring at defensive back in college, Campo twice earned All-East honors at shortstop at Central Connecticut State.

Campo and his wife, Kay, have six children: Angie, Eric, Beckie, Tommy, Shelbie and Michael.

Weis looking at Martinez for DC?

Posted on: January 6th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments
Willie Martinez

Photo Courtesy of MKROB sports

Jayhawk Slant tweeted this morning that there is some smoke surrounding Willie Martinez (current DB coach for Oklahoma) to become the next defensive coordinator at Kansas. Martinez has coached at OU since 2010. Prior to that, he was on the Georgia staff for nine years, serving as defensive coordinator for five. While in Athens, 14 of his defensive backs were selected in the NFL draft.

His Georgia defenses from 2005 to 2007 were fantastic, ranking consistently in the top 10 in a lot of defensive categories. However, during his tenure, the defensive numbers fell each year. He was eventually fired in 2009 after his team ranked 11th in the SEC in total defense, giving up an average of nearly 28 points per game.

He has some recruiting ties in Florida, a hot bed for great DB talent and athletes overall. He has gameday defensive coordinator experience, and he is now familiar with the Big 12. I think Kansas could do worse than hire Martinez.

Dieter chooses SMU over Jayhawks

Posted on: January 3rd, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Courtesy of South Bend Tribune

Update: 6:35 PM

Dieter chose SMU over KU. As I mentioned in my post this morning, I thought KU was fighting an uphill battle here, only because SMU has been courting Dieter for a very long time. KU got in the mix only in the last few weeks.

As always, best of luck to Gehrig. On to the next one.

 

Update: 2:35 PM

Dieter will not play in the Semper Fi Bowl due to a knee injury. He will announce his college choice at halftime of the game.

Stay tuned…

 

11:30 AM

KU wide receiver target, Gehrig Dieter, will decide between KU and SMU today at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports Network at 5:00 PM central time, though it is unclear at which point during the game he will decide.

Should he choose KU today, Charlie Weis will be getting an immediate impact-type player that should be able to compete for a starting position right away. Dieter is a big target at 6’3, 200 pounds, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time for his quarterback.

He broke the Indiana state record on August 20, racking up an astounding 373 receiving yards in one game. On Sept 2, Dieter broke the national record with 447 receiving yards in one game.

Some speculation is that SMU has a leg up on KU only because Weis and KU got into the Dieter recruitment very late. However, Dieter has made mention several times on his twitter account that he has spoken with KU QB transfer, Dayne Crist about coming to KU. He has also said that he has a great relationship with Weis since Dieter’s high school is in South Bend.

My take? I don’t really have a gut feeling either way on which school Dieter will choose. I get the sense that he’d like to play with Crist, but I also know he has a longstanding connection with June Jones and his staff at SMU. Gun to my head, I think he chooses SMU, but Crist might be the wild card.

Stay tuned…

Justin McCay commits to KU

Posted on: December 28th, 2011 by jayhawktalk 2 Comments
Justin McCay

Justin McCay - Photo courtesy of MaxPreps

January 6 Update:

Jayhawk Slant is reporting that McCay has committed to Charlie Weis and Kansas. KU will be getting a 6’2’’ athlete with great speed and a physically imposing frame. McCay ranked among the best wide receivers in the 2010 class – #10 WR by Scout and #6 by Rivals – and was honored as a U.S. Army All-American his senior year.

December 28:

It has been confirmed by multiple sources that former Bishop Miege standout, Justin McCay, plans to transfer from Oklahoma. Reports say he is looking at one of the three local schools – KU, K-State, or Missouri as a possible landing spot.

Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops granted his release complete with a special waiver that will allow McCay to avoid the inter-conference transfer rule that would have forced him to lose one year of eligibility. Should he transfer to KU, he would still be required to sit one year and then will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Kansas is rumored to be the leading school for McCay, who could reunite with his former high school coach, Tim Grunhard.

If McCay chooses to become a Jayhawk, Charlie Weis will be getting a 6’2’’ athlete with good speed and a physically imposing frame. He ranked among the best wide receivers in the 2010 class – #10 WR by Scout and #6 by Rivals – and was honored as a U.S. Army All-American his senior year. Check out his bio at Sooner Sports for more info.

Stay tuned for more info should McCay make a decision in the coming days.

Why Charlie Weis?

Posted on: December 9th, 2011 by jayhawktalk 1 Comment

So now that the honeymoon period is in full force, I think it’s a good time to step back and ask a few questions. We have a new coach that has a pedigree unmatched by most coaches in football.  We also have a guy that has been rumored to be arrogant, stubborn, and difficult to work with.

While I am coming around on the hire, I am certainly mindful of the knocks against Weis. He will have my support because I think it is important to give a new coach everything he needs to succeed at the start of a new tenure.  I have already done my small part by pledging an additional Williams Fund donation. I also have every intent to renew my football tickets next year.

But I’m still a little wary, and I guess it all revolves around one question:

“Why?”

Kansas Head Coach Charlie Weis

Kansas Head Coach Charlie Weis

The national media hated the hire. I disagree with their reasoning for the most part, but a lot of them know more about football than I do. I gauged the general tenor of their argument to be this: (1) Four jobs in four years; (2) Fell off at Notre Dame when he got his own talent in there; (3) Difficult to work with; (4) Even at Florida he found a way to screw up the offense; (5) [Insert personal story about Weis being a jerk]; and (6) …the same question I have…”Why?”

More personally, I have heard local people in the know tell me that hey sure hope Zenger did his due diligence on Weis before guaranteeing any kind of big money.  His reputation, while good on paper, is not so hot in the coaching and, more especially, the college world. The booster response I have heard is generally intrigued by the hire, so that is something.

My response to most of those concerns is this: We are Kansas. This is not Notre Dame or Florida. We haven’t exactly been a powerhouse and have low expectations in general. To win here is difficult but not impossible. We have lived through a mean coach and a nice coach and are back to a mean coach. None of those issues are incredibly important to me.

As for the worries about bringing in “his” players and installing “his” offense, the only thing I will say is this: Weis is absolutely 100% guaranteed to get a good quarterback. And a good quarterback will take you a long, long way. Look at what Robert Griffin III did at Baylor this year. Baylor is not a powerhouse. But a good quarterback put them on the map. If Weis misses on everything but QB, we are going to be just fine.

As for some of the other worries, I believe most will be negated if he gets a great staff in here. And by all accounts, Weis will get a great staff in here.

So we’re back to the original question, the only one that leaves me somewhere between concerned and intrigued…why? Why Weis?

Kansas Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger

Sheahon Zenger made a ballsy hire in Weis

The only thing I can think of is there is still another shoe to drop in this thing. Maybe Weis told Zenger he could secure a Defensive Coordinator like Jim Leavitt or Vic Koening (although it sounds like Leavitt might be in the mix at ASU). Maybe he told Zenger he’d be able to secure an incredible Offensive Coordinator like Paul Chryst. Maybe he told Zenger he already had a blue chip quarterback in his pocket like Dayne Crist.

Whatever it is, I guess I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop to give this thing some logic. Otherwise, I’m not sure why Zenger chose Weis over some other candidates that were rumored to have legitimate interest.

Maybe there isn’t another shoe. But I’d be surprised. Without it, I’m going to continue scratching my head on this one.

Right alongside most outside of Lawrence, KS.

Welcome to KU, Coach Weis

Posted on: December 8th, 2011 by jayhawktalk 1 Comment

The University of Kansas has a new football coach. And his name is Charles Joseph Weis. Known as an incredible offensive mind, he also brings with him an aura of legitimacy not seen in a KU coaching hire since Larry Brown made the move from the NBA bench to the Allen Fieldhouse bench. Weis has four Super Bowl rings, has worked with some of the best quarterbacks in the game, and brings an exciting name to a program devoid of much excitement. He’s also worked for guys with names like Parcells and Belichick. His curriculum vitae is pretty impressive.

Weis also brings with him a fair bit of risk. His tenure at Notre Dame is concerning. His short stop at Florida has not exactly been a success either. Some are concerned with his desire to do all the ancillary things a college coach has to do. Recruiting, glad-handing, taking care of off-field issues, graduation rates, NCAA limitations, etc. do not seem to really be his thing. As Hammond posted earlier in his blog, KU would be wise to pay heed to the old warning, “Caveat Emptor” (‘buyer beware’ of what you’re getting yourself into).

I have argued that Kansas needs a grinder for a football coach. Someone who will put in the work and maintain the attention to detail it takes to compete with teams that are always going to be more talented than yours. I’m not sure Weis is necessarily a grinder. But Weis may not need to be a grinder to win here. He may be able to level the playing field just by being a better coach than his competition. It might just be good enough.

While the move has plenty of risk, it also has incredible upside. Sandwiched in between his stops in South Bend and Gainesville was his time in Kansas City where he turned a bad quarterback and poor offensive line into a pro bowler and top rushing unit in the NFL. He also helped Jamaal Charles reach his true potential. If he finds that magic he had in Kansas City brings it with him to Lawrence, he will be worth every penny Zenger has promised him.

Speaking of Zenger, this hire is also an enormous moment for him too. I think it demonstrates that not only is he serious about righting this ship, but that he’s willing to take big risks to do so. Right or wrong, he is also hitching his name to the Weis Wagon, so you have to think Zenger will do whatever it takes to give him an opportunity to succeed here. This will likely include budget increases, potential stadium and facility upgrades, and money for assistant coaches. Not to mention a long leash to let Weis do it his way.

Weis was not my first choice. I am willing to admit it. But I do recognize that he also has a real opportunity to have the biggest upside. Maybe even higher than my first choice, Mike Leach. Having been to the Orange Bowl and witnessed how fun it is to have a good football team, I hope Zenger, the Athletics Department, boosters, and fans give the man every chance to win. I’m on board. Time for you to be too.

Rock Chalk, Chuck Weis.

Zenger needs to find KU’s Bill Snyder

Posted on: December 6th, 2011 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Not that this will come as a shock to anyone, but it is growing more and more evident that KU is not a premier football job.  Not right now anyway. Sure, KU boasts a football complex and facilities that rank among the top 30-40 or so in the country. Fan support is there when the product on the field is competitive, but has also proven to be quite fickle when it is not.  Lawrence is not the best place to recruit to, but it certainly isn’t the worst.

What KU has going for it is an Athletics Director that seems to understand football and thus has a good idea what it will take to compete and win at the University of Kansas.  It takes someone with attention to detail, someone who has a competitive drive that makes him outwork and outcoach his peers, and someone who has a plan and is committed to it for the long haul. Yes, the Jayhawks need their own Bill Snyder.

All jokes aside about the beloved old man to the West, he just wins. He doesn’t recruit “athletes.” He recruits “football players.” He finds the guys that will work their butts off for him and molds them into winners. Mangino had many of those qualities, and while he certainly could compete with anyone in the country with Xs and Os, he could not keep up on the recruiting front.  He failed to capitalize on Orange Bowl success while further struggling to maintain the faith of his assistant coaches.

KU needs a hardass, but also a teacher. KU needs a disciplinarian, but also a guy that commands the respect of his players. More than anything, though, KU needs a guy that understands KU. Someone that understands the kind of work it takes to turn around a program and legitimize it in a league that has its lot of proven winners.

 

So…who?

 

I wish I had that answer. So many of the names floated – guys like Mike Leach, Gus Malzahn, and Larry Fedora – don’t necessarily meet this standard. I do not have faith that these guys would stick around at KU if they achieve early success. Then you get down the list to retreads like Phillip Fulmer, Glen Mason, or Houston Nutt. While I’m not worried about age of the coach, I just don’t know if these guys have much left in the tank.

The guys that seem most likely to live up to this standard include names like Dave Christensen, Sonny Dykes, and Mark Stoops. While I will support anyone Zenger brings in, I believe one of these names has the best chance of being the real grinder KU needs.

I do believe Zenger knows what kind of man it takes to run this program. I just hope like hell he finds our Bill Snyder (except without the cane….and the old man glasses…I kid, I kid). I guess we’ll find out.

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