Around The Big 12: Kansas To Win "One Percent" Each Day In Rebuild
Note: Longhorns Country's "Around the Big 12" series will feature stories on all 10 programs in preparation for the 2021 season.
ARLINGTON -- He stands alone at a podium some several hundred miles away. From a small screen and with the help of a moderator, he answers questions on the future of a program in shambles.
A weather delay stopped the team from making an impact in their own conference in person. Not to mention, the program recently came under fire for allegations made against the former staff.
That's the thing with Lance Leipold. He's not most coaches. And maybe, that's good for Kansas as they prep for the 2021 season under their new head coach.
"There's no simple quick fixes in building a program or in rebuilding a program," Leipold said via Zoom last Thursday at Big 12 media days. "Our approach is going to be consistent in what we're going to do, consistent in our recruiting methods, starting locally, again, spreading out throughout the nation within the Big 12 footprint."
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Leipold is off to a quick start. He wasn't hired until April, well after the recruiting cycle was over. Kansas had finished its spring practice when the new broke the big man from Buffalo, N.Y. would be taking over for Les Miles.
Miles, a former SEC Coach of the Year and national champion, was placed on administrative leave on March 5 due to an investigation of inappropriate conduct with female students while at LSU. Three days later, the two mutually agreed to part ways.
Days before all 10 teams were to head to AT&T Stadium, the Kansas City Star released an article stating that former player Caperton Humphrey offered more than $50,000 in benefits if he left the program and stayed quiet about harassment from other players.
Things have to get worse before they can get better. How much worse can it get for Leipold?
"We have to be a program that's going to take care of the finer points of the game and continue to build consistency and confidence in each and everything that we do," Leipold said.
The Jayhawks haven't had a winning season since 2008. They've hired multiple coaches who have proven they can win at other programs, all falling flat.
Tuner Gil from Buffalo lasted two seasons. Charlie Weiss from Notre Dame made it roughly three. David Beaty stuck around the longest, but also is the only coach to have a winless season.
What makes Leipold any different? Well, he's not a stereotypical FBS coach.
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His first job after playing quarterback at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater was becoming the Warhawks' quarterback coach. He spent six years between Wisconsin (1991-1993) and Nebraska (2000-2003) before heading back to Division III ball for the next 11 years.
Leipold is a proven winner. No matter the conference, wins are wins.
The Warhawks won six Division III titles under Leipold while making the finals seven times in eight seasons. He also took Buffalo to two MAC titles and finished with a 37-33 record.
"There's many of those things that can be looked upon that we should be looking to install and probably will into our program," Leipold said. "Whether that's Division III mentality or just going through things, we'll use all resources that we can to build this program the right way."
In Division III football, there are no scholarships. Selling the program to the ultimate test of what makes a coach. Matt Campbell sold Mount Union during his time as the Purple Raiders' offensive coordinator.
He just won the Fiesta Bowl with Iowa State and has the Cyclones looking like a College Football Playoff threat.
Leipold's first job was to convince veteran talent to stay for the rebuild. Names like Kenny Logan or Kwamie Lassiter could have role players for different schools.
Instead, they are bought into the culture that Leipold has introduced.
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"He just wants to see everybody do better," Lassiter said. "he truly wants to see change around here. He wants to say something that hasn't been done around here in a long time."
Logan agreed.
"Guys actually believe and see there’s something in front of us that we’re trying to go get," Logan said. "Just believing in this process that we’re going through now is going to help us get there. I definitely feel like guys are moving differently around here right now.”
Naturally, having that 'pep in step' feeling only grows when the product on the field improves. Leipold's background of working inside the mind of quarterbacks could benefit whoever wins the starting job.
Former North Texas starter Jason Bean joins the squad in Lawrence via the transfer portal. He'll be battling Jalon Daniels and Miles Kendrick for reps at QB1. Daniels, a freshman, led Kansas in passing yards with 718 yards and a touchdown.
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Kendrick led in completion percentage (60.8), touchdowns (6) and passer rating (114.3). Bean completed just 54.5% of his 145 passes during his final season with the Mean Green. He also threw 14 touchdowns and ran for five scores.
"To really say that I've had a chance to watch guys in person to get an evaluation has not happened," Leipold said. "And so whether it be Jason Bean or Jalon Daniels, Miles Kendrick or any of our young quarterbacks that we have, that will be in August."
Lassiter, a super senior, will be the offensive leader. Logan, the two-year starter at safety, will take over that role on defense. He'll need to be after Jon Terry, Marcus Harris and Karon Prunty all bolted for SEC schools.
Leipold remembers visiting Logan as if he were a recruit in his hometown of St. Augustine, Florida. In a way, he was recruiting him, mainly to stay with the team.
It's the little things that go a long way for Logan. After that, the junior tweeted a photo of him and the new coach holding his No. 1 jersey with the caption: “Lets rock and roll.”
“Just what won me over was just understanding he wants to help us grow as people and players,” Logan said. “So that was the biggest thing with me.”
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Leipold is high on KU’s leading tackler last season making a difference. The two talk daily, often meeting in his office about the next game plan or just shoot the breeze.
"If you have a chance to interact with Kenny, you know he's got a great personality, a lot of charisma to him," Liepold said. "He's going to need that or we're going to need that type of leadership and positivity in our program as we continue to grow."
Lassiter and Logan both said the team has a slogan: one percent better.
Each day is a chance to the Jayhawks to improve in the locker room before practice begins. Lassiter believes it's a culture setter to live by. Logan says that 1% can go beyond the gridiron. It also matters with rest and nutrition.
That'll have to be the case for Kansas in 2021. They're projected to finish last in the conference preseason ranking.
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Leipold said in each stop, coaching stability and consistency has made them successful. The biggest downfall of most teams is wonder "what was" rather than "what is" in the future.
Kansas can sit and remember the bad. They can live in the past and remember 2007. Why play when viewed a joke anyways?
That's the old Kansas though. With Leipold, they keep moving forward — 1% stronger than the day before.
"You can't spend any time looking in the rearview mirror," Leipold said. "Look through the windshield, keep it a day at a time, don't get too far ahead of yourself or too far behind."
CONTINUE READING: Around The Big 12: Explosive Offense From Kansas State Could Erase Last Year's "What If" Disappointment
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