Girod backs Beaty and Zenger, the timing couldn't be better
Kansas chancellor Doug Girod made it clear on Monday late afternoon he backs the leaders in charge of the football program. In an email sent to students and faculty as well as posted on the KU Twitter account, he gave his thoughts on the future of the football program.
First was his support for head football coach David Beaty and athletic director Sheahon Zenger. In September when Girod announced the Raise the Chant campaign he offered much of the same support for both.
Back in September Girod said:
“We’ve had some tremendous success in athletics under Sheahon and he has elevated every element of our athletics programs. He is certainly a man of vision and integrity and is a Jayhawk to the core. He has picked the right guy in Coach Beaty to lead us and we’re on a great path. He is truly an inspirational coach.
“I have full confidence in both of them and we really do have the right team at the right time. We just have to get the right tools to get the job done.”
Reading through Girod’s message on Monday he kept the same stance from two months ago.
“I want to reiterate my confidence in Sheahon and Coach David Beaty. Nobody denies the challenges we are having on the field, but I maintain my belief that Sheahon and Coach Beaty have the right long-term vision and are doing things the right way. Our focus now is empowering them with the tools they need to fulfill their vision.”
The tools Girod referred to are renovations to Memorial Stadium that will start this off-season with the construction of an indoor football practice facility. Girod said they are still determining the best location for the indoor building.
He said in his message they will present the plans to the Board of Regents this week. He understands the process it takes to build something. He spent nearly two decades at KU Med. In his last four he oversaw everything from patient care to research to education.
“Having worked the last 18 years to improve the KU Medical Center you have to set a plan and set a course and stick with it,” Girod said in September. “You have to give it time to work. It is not easy and it is never a straight line. You just have to keep fighting and keep pushing and keep moving to the next level.”
Girod is well aware of the situation Beaty took over when he became the head coach in 2015. He hasn’t wavered on his support as the coaching staff tries to rebuild the program but also noted the importance of football at KU.
“A competitive football program benefits the entire university and our academic mission,” he said in the email. “We need to remain a strong member of the Big 12, and football is key to that.”
The support comes at a key time for the program. Their last two games are against the top two offenses in the country with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks will likely be big underdogs in the final two contests.
Beaty and his staff have a solid foundation in recruiting for the 2018 class. In two weeks they will be flying all over the trying to round out the class and keep current recruits committed. Recruiting is a cut-throat business and opposing coaches will use anything to their advantage.
This year the NCAA instituted an early signing day on Dec. 20. It is the first early signing day ever for high school players. December 8-10 is shaping up to be the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for Kansas. Now Beaty has the public backing from the top, which should help answer any questions recruits and their parents might have.