Big 12 coach highlights what flipped Kansas into 'intriguing' program

It’s officially the offseason when the college football magazines start hitting the shelves. Well, Athlon Sports has published its summer preview magazine and it includes some comments from an anonymous Big 12 coach on Lance Leipold and his Kansas program inside.

The publication, which is on shelves now, is typically one of the most sought-after summer pieces of literature. You can find more about buying a copy here.

One of the readers’ favorite pieces in the magazine? A feature that supplies quotes from an anonymous Big 12 coach about other programs. Let’s take a look at the comments about Lance Leipold and Kansas from Athlon Sports.

First off, this anonymous coach had some really positive things to say about Kansas as a program. That’s a credit to Lance Leipold.

“They’re intriguing,” he said. “You’re no longer the old Kansas, obviously, and now every week, people know that you’re not the old Kansas, and you still get everyone’s best.” 

Perhaps the biggest factor in Kansas’ turnaround — The Jayhawks won nine games in 2023 and have been competitive the last two years despite going 5-7 both years — has been the program’s commitment to playing ball in the modern era. The coach commented on that.

“They have money in the program now,” he said. “Lance Leipold has some juice.” 

The real question for Kansas this season might be the look itself, especially offensively. When healthy, quarterback Jalon Daniels really led the show.

But perhaps just as importantly, Lance Leipold has some personnel changes this offseason. Could that help the Jayhawks get back toward that 2023 level success?

“I know that they lost a safety in the portal, and I don’t know what to make of their quarterback situation, but Leipold brought back his old offensive coordinator [Andy Kotelnicki] from Penn State,” the anonymous coach said. “That’s gonna be good because they also kept their quarterbacks coach [Jim Zebrowski]. When Leipold has had the most success, it’s been when he’s paired with Kotelnicki.”

We’ll see how Kansas shakes out this fall. But nobody is sleeping on Lance Leipold and his squad anymore.

In any case, if you want more comments from anonymous Big 12 coaches on various programs in the league, be sure to check out the Athlon Sports summer preview magazine. Athlon Sports publishes one of the most respected college football preview magazines in the industry. You can find more about buying a copy here.