Inside the process that led to Lance Leipold’s new deal as Kansas football’s head coach
LAWRENCE — This past coaching cycle once again saw Kansas’ Lance Leipold highlighted as a potential candidate for different jobs.
At one point in the fall, Michigan State became a popular landing spot. Fast forward to January, and the buzz around Washington heightened. But as each job opened and closed, Leipold remained at KU, and in February the Jayhawks announced a new deal that included increased salary pools for assistants and staff, a raise for himself and more.
As Travis Goff addressed that deal, though, the other moves around the collegiate landscape weren’t referred to as catalysts. Goff, Kansas’ director of athletics, pointed back to a statement he made last November about not sitting idle in a commitment to football, and noted they were probably working on the deal at that juncture. He added it takes time to finalize everything, and that Leipold also had a say in a timing of the announcement so it didn’t take away from anything else going on around KU Athletics.
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“There’s certain things that’ll never completely always be shared through that process, but honestly Collin Sexton, deputy athletics director, told my representation way ahead that they wanted to be out ahead of this again,” Leipold said in February. “As I told Travis in our discussions, I don’t expect a new contract just because we win some football games. I don’t believe — I had a contract, I was very happy with that contract and that’s why I’m so appreciative of them wanting to do it.”
Leipold has been a common named tied to other jobs because of how quick he’s been able to turn the Kansas program around, and set it up to compete for titles in a new-look Big 12 Conference. He guided the Jayhawks to a bowl game in year two, and followed that with a bowl victory in year three. Expectations for year four continue to rise, even with the team set to play its home games away from Lawrence as renovations to its home stadium continue.
From Leipold’s perspective, the process to reach a new deal at Kansas proved to be easier than he thinks some might describe it. He mused to Goff that at least 90% of the deal, and maybe as much as 95% or more, had been secured in December. Leipold mentioned it never felt like there was a big rush with timing, and that everyone was on the same page.
As Leipold has said before, he wants to remain with the Jayhawks.
“I know it’s not always the group you want to say it to,” he mentioned at the press conference with Goff, “but don’t believe everything you read.” Leipold followed that up with a laugh, an apology and a note that not everything that’s said is always factual.
“During some conversations I could say is, yeah, there’s things that get taken care of in salary for yourself and your family and others and — but there are also parts of our conversations I had with Travis I said, ‘It’s not about money,’” Leipold said. “If it was about money I wouldn’t be sitting here, OK? I’ll say that. If it was strictly about how much money Kelly and I can make, we would not be here. I don’t know if we’d had been here last year.”
Leipold volunteered he’s talked to the team before about not making every decision based on money, and other transactional things. He’d feel like a hypocrite if he didn’t follow that line of thinking. He hopes that is something that can remain important, and Goff mentioned Leipold’s discussions including talks about academic support for athletes, a commitment in the name, image and likeness (NIL) space and more.
Goff described the new deal as a “profound statement” about the commitment KU has to Leipold, his staff and the program at large. From Goff’s perspective, what they’re doing is something a Top-20 program would do — and not just for the sake of doing it. It’s substantial, as is the about $450 million that’s being invested in a reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and the surrounding area.
“What I hope we’re doing is, everybody thinks this as a stop along the way and not a destination, when you’re the head football coach at Kansas,” said Leipold, who made sure to note this effort will take everyone. “When I’ve said before we’re going to make this an and school, a basketball and a football school, not an or, that this becomes a destination for football coaches as well.”
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why did Lance Leipold sign a new deal as Kansas football's head coach?
