Kansas AD's name on response to fan email asking for Charlie Weis' dismissal
As Kansas' 41-3 loss to Duke was ending on Saturday, Scott Paradise, like many Kansas fans, was frustrated.
The Jayhawks haven't won a game on the road since Mark Mangino, now Iowa State's offensive coordinator, was the head coach. Simply put, since Mangino led the Jayhawks to the 2008 Orange Bowl and parted ways with the school in 2009, the Jayhawks have been one of the worst programs Power Five programs in college football.
Paradise took out his frustration in an email to Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger. The subject of the email was "FIRE WEIS." Straight and to the point in reference to Kansas coach Charlie Weis. Tuesday, per the Kansas City Star, Paradise got a reply from an assistant with Zenger's name attached to it.
"We appreciate your input and hope you will continue to support the Kansas Jayhawks," the email said. "Please know that we are fully aware of your frustration and we are watching this situation closely. Our team values your support; we hope you will stick with us through this challenging time. Thank you and Rock Chalk."
The Jayhawks are three-point favorites against the Chippewas, a team that beat Purdue earlier in the year on the road. Is it a make-or-break game for Weis? Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan thinks it's possible.
Weis is in his third year at Kansas. In 2012, the Jayhawks were 1-11. Last season, KU was 3-9, a record that included a home win against West Virginia, Kansas' first conference win since beating Colorado in 2010. This season, Kansas is 1-1 after staving off a late comeback bid against Southeastern Missouri State in the first game of the season. Following that game, some players, including team captain Ben Heeney, commented on the team's focus and the approximately 36,000 people in attendance. Weis said they should shut up.
If things continue to be challenging, to put it mildly, and Kansas goes in another direction at head coach, the Jayhawks would be on a fourth head coach in seven seasons. Even three in six is hardly a recipe for continuity. After Mangino's unceremonious dismissal, Turner Gill and Weis have been unable to come close to the success that he achieved.
More and more, the 2007 Orange Bowl season is looking like a flash in the pan. In a hyper-competitive Big 12, a big bowl berth seems a long way away. But at this point, simple mediocrity does too. If Kansas takes care of Central Michigan on Saturday, mediocrity seems a lot closer and the challenging time potentially shorter. If it doesn't, you have to wonder how much more closely the situation will be watched.
For more Kansas news, visit JayhawkSlant.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
