Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) – Kansas has fired head football coach
Charlie Weis.
Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger made the announcement Sunday, one day
after the Jayhawks dropped a 23-0 decision to Texas and fell to 2-2 for the
season.
Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, a Kansas alum, was named interim head
coach.
“I normally do not favor changing coaches mid-season,” said Zenger in a
statement Sunday. “But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this
program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin
making progress right away.”
Weis was in his third season with the Jayhawks and had two years remaining on
his contract. Kansas was 1-11 in Weis’ first season, including 0-9 in the Big
12, and 3-9 overall last year with a 1-8 conference mark.
This season’s squad has victories over Southeast Missouri State and Central
Michigan, but has been outscored 64-3 in its losses to Duke and Texas.
“I appreciate what Coach Weis did with several facets of our football
program,” Zenger continued. “But we have not made the on-the-field progress we
believe we should. I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the
best chance to make a fresh start.”
Weis took over in December 2011 after Turner Gill was 5-19 in his two seasons.
Kansas has not had a winning season since an 8-5 mark with an Insight Bowl
victory in 2008 under Mark Mangino, who took the Jayhawks to the Orange Bowl
the previous year.
“KU alumni, students, fans and supporters expect that Kansas football will
match the other areas in which we excel as a university,” said KU chancellor
Bernadette Gray-Little. “After consulting with Dr. Zenger, I am in agreement
that it is time for new leadership of our football program.”
Bowen played defensive back for the Jayhawks from 1990-93 and spent 16 seasons
as an assistant at KU. He began coaching as a graduate assistant in 1996, then
worked in a number of different roles on the coaching staff from 1998-2009.
After a year at Western Kentucky in 2010 and North Texas in 2011, both as
defensive coordinator, Bowen returned to Kansas under Weis for the 2012
season.
Weis is best-known for his five seasons as head coach at Notre Dame. He was
35-27 with the Fighting Irish, but just 16-21 in his final three years and was
fired after a 6-6 campaign in 2009.
