The Kansas Jayhawks Athletic Department Released “The Blueprint,” a Football Series
The Kansas Jayhawks Athletic Department, in conjunction with their multimedia rightsholder, Learfield, released a four-part series of a behind-the-scenes look at second-year head coach Lance Leipold and the football program. The series is narrated by actor and Kansas alum Rob Riggle.
Riggle spoke about the opportunity to narrate this series, saying, "As a proud alum and fierce Jayhawk supporter, it was an honor to participate in this project," Riggle said. "I believe in Coach Leipold and his staff. I'm impressed with his vision for Kansas Football and his desire to make the program the best it can be. I think Jayhawk fans everywhere are going to enjoy this look at a team and program on the rise."
Each episode brings light to what is becoming the blueprint for success for this Kansas football program. In the first episode titled "New Beginnings," athletic director Travis Goff gives insight on the coaching search and the ultimate decision, Lance Leipold. We, as fans, also hear from Director of Sports Performance Matt Gildersleeve.
Episode 2, titled "Culture Is Action," goes into extensive detail on the new culture implementation. The culture and overall mindset around the football team have not been the best for years, and head coach Lance Leipold knew he would need to make these changes. It would take buying in from the university, the coaching staff, the players, and the fans. One of the critical messages from Leipold is improving on both sides of the football and perfecting the fundamentals.
Episode 3, titled "Competition Within," gives a behind-the-scenes look at the competitive nature of this football team. We see how competition is handled at the quarterback position. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and defensive coordinator Brian Borland provide insight into their team development takes. As KU continues recruiting talented players and utilizing the transfer portal, this team will only create more competition for each position.
Episode 4, titled "It Takes Everybody," says it all. The buy-in has to come from the university, the coaching staff, the players, and the fans for this football team to be successful. In this episode, the players react to the Kansas men's basketball team winning a national championship and celebrate that championship inside David Boothe Memorial Stadium. The players reveal how this made them want to succeed that much more. We also hear from Lawrence, Kansas native Devin Neal, and with the end of the Spring Preview, athletic director Travis Goff provides expectations for the blueprint to become a reality.
I enjoyed this series and think it provides a much-needed insight into the Kansas football program. The turnover of coaches and the lack of culture were prevalent, but this series demonstrates that it is changing and football is becoming enjoyable at KU. The mindset is shifting, which was apparent throughout this beautifully orchestrated series. A quote that stuck with me came from Travis Goff as he said, "We are fully committed to building a football program with championship-level success, and when you layer in alumni and fan base, that's also committed to it. It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when — and what that journey looks like to getting there."
