Will Utah Game Affect Lance Leipold’s Job Security at Kansas?

The Kansas football program has one final chance this season to compete for bowl eligibility and have something to play for in the postseason.

The Jayhawks have a tough matchup against No. 12 Utah, a school that is playing for a spot in the Big 12 championship game and is in the midst of a terrific season.

It's safe to say that KU fans are not happy with what this once-promising year has become. This is now the second year in a row that the Jayhawks entered the campaign with lofty expectations and massively underachieved.

Missing bowl eligibility again will certainly heat up Lance Leipold's seat. But will a win or loss actually dictate his future in Lawrence? Probably not.

Why the Utah Game Will Not Affect Lance Leipold’s Future

Any criticism you have of Kansas in 2025 is probably true. The team has lost several games it should have won, the defense has failed the offense on numerous occasions, and the Jayhawks have seemingly gotten progressively worse each game this year.

He is wrapping up his fifth year at the helm and, quite frankly, is not meeting the expectations he raised within the program. He and everyone else on the staff would agree that the Jayhawks should have won multiple more games over the past two seasons, but late-game mistakes and coaching errors have proved costly.

With all that said, that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to move on from Leipold, nor does it mean this weekend's game has any significance in the long run.

When it comes to an opponent like Utah, the Utes are simply a superior team to the Jayhawks right now. They have only lost two games in Big 12 play and have been dominant for the most part.

Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There is no reason to believe that the performance of a 5-6 team that has nothing left to play for besides a low-tier bowl game should determine Leipold's future in Lawrence.

As quickly as things have gone south for him, they can turn around just as quickly next year if the coaching staff has a strong offseason. It will be the first year Leipold won't have Jalon Daniels as his starting signal-caller heading into the season, and the Jayhawks are going to look a lot different.

It should absolutely be his last chance to prove himself to Athletic Director Travis Goff, but it hasn't reached the point where he direly needs to be fired, especially given the numerous head coaching openings across college football.

So in short, the Utah game will not affect how the program, or even the fanbase, views Leipold. Upper management has already made its decision on his future, and a three-point win or a blowout loss won't change that.