For the first time in Charlie Weis’ coaching career the expectations surrounding him are relatively low.
He has already shown us when they were sky high at Notre Dame and Florida … well, he couldn’t deliver.
But now he’s at Kansas, which went 5-19 the past two seasons. The Jayhawks are happy to have their second 300-pound plus coach in the last decade. Welcome to Mangino Part II.
Kansas fans would love to relive Mangino’s 2007 season with Weis at the helm. But his critics say he can’t do it. But without the atmospheric expectations, Kansas is a good fit for Weis.
Because Turner Gill’s two seasons in Lawrence, Kan., were such an utter failure, Kansas was able to take a gamble on Weis, who had a mediocre run at Notre Dame. In five seasons at his alma mater, Weis was a pedestrian 35-27.
Weis is considered an offensive genius, but it hasn’t quite transferred to the college game like he thought. His “decided schematic advantage” didn’t translate as Florida’s offensive coordinator last year, and was nothing special at Notre Dame.
Weis learned a lot about coaching the college game … most notably what not to do.
He must become a better recruiter, but he’s already done an outstanding job of getting two quality quarterback transfers in Dayne Crist for this season and Jake Heaps for 2013.
This is a clear indication that Weis plans to win now, instead of the long-term building project that Gill was undertaking. Rumblings and news reports have not been flattering toward Gill and his management of the program.
So far, Weis has been getting glowing reviews on how he’s handling the Kansas program both on and off the field.
Weis has also put together an impressive coaching staff, which includes former Dallas Cowboys coach Dave Campo as Kansas’ defensive coordinator. He’s also a hit with the KU fans for his straight-shooting approach with the media and his team.
Will all of this equate to a banner 2012? Not likely. The talent is not there to be more than a four- or five-win team. It is a step in the right direction, but the new-and-improved Big 12 is going to be tough to compete in and Kansas … even with Weis … is never going to be anything more than a mid-level team.
