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Monday, September 29, 2014
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Kansas football coach Charlie Weis was fired Sunday morning after Kansas' 23-0 loss to Texas on Saturday. Weis leaves the University with an overall 6-22 record and a 1-18 conference record.
DAN HARMSEN
@UDK_Dan
Following a stagnant game day for the Kansas football team, Sunday morning was a busy one.
Coach Charlie Weis has been relieved of his duties, Kansas athletic director Sheaon Zenger said in a Kansas Athletics press release after a 23-0 loss to Texas on Saturday, Weis' 22nd in 28 attempts. The firing ends a five-year contract prematurely, just four games into Weis' third year.
"I normally do not favor changing coaches mid-season," Zenger said in the release. "But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin
After dismissing 29 players for mostly academic or behavioral reasons, Weis' watch saw the highest GPA the football program has recorded during the fall since the school began keeping track in 1986: 2.83 in 2012 up from 2.46 in 2011. But the results weren't as promising outside of the classroom.
making progress right away."
"I appreciate what coach Weis did with several facets of our football program," Zenger said. "But we have not made the on-the-field progress we believe we should. I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the best chance to make a fresh start."
In 19 conference games, Weis teams were outscored 719-267 which averages to 37.8-14.1 per game.
Known best for his previous work with quarterbacks including Tom Brady and Brady Quinn, Weis struggled to find a reliable one at Kansas. In less
"... we have not made the on-the-field progress we believe we should. I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the best chance to make a fresh start."
SHEAHON ZENGER Kansas athletic director
and Montell Cozart. Under Weis' direction, the quarterback position completed just 47.6 percent of its passes for 5.4 yards per attempt, 21 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.
than three seasons, Weis filed through four different starting quarterbacks: Dayne Crist, Michael Cummings, Jake Heans
52 interceptions.
Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen has been announced the interim coach for Kansas (2-2). A Lawrence native, Bowen helped lead Kansas to a No. 22 national ranking as a defensive back, following its win against Brigham Young in the 1992 Aloha Bowl. Kansas finished the 1992 season 8-4, and in 1993, Bowen recorded the third-most tackles by a Jayhawk defensive back in school history, leading the team with 114.
For the 1995 Kansas grad, Bowen's coaching career began shortly after his playing career. He began his work as a defensive
graduate assistant coach in 1996, and after a brief stint with Minnesota, Bowen returned to Kansas in 1998. Bowen spent time coaching the tight ends, running backs and safeties until 2009.
His time at Kansas included three bowl victories, including the most successful season in Kansas football history, when the Jayhawks finished 12-1 with a 24-21 BCS Orange Bowl victory against Virginia Tech in 2007-08. A co-defensive coordinator, his defense allowed just 16 points per game that season.
sessions.
Bowen rejoined the staff in 2012 as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach under Weis before moving over to linebackers, and ultimately being named
the defensive coordinator in December 2013.
With a senior-laden roster seven starters on offense and six starters on defense this appeared to be Weis's best team at Kansas. But through four games, Kansas has averaged a Big 12-worst 15.3 points per game.
For an offensive-minded Weis, the most strides on the field appeared to be made on the defensive side of the football
In 2012, Weis assumed a team that had allowed 43.8 points per game. Through four games this season, Kansas has allowed 25.5 points per game.
Weis was hired Dec. 9, 2011,
for a guaranteed $2.5 million
per year over five years, with
SEE WEIS PAGE 2
Chancellor speaks on sexual assault
MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHartford
Sexual Assault
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little addressed a number of topics Thursday afternoon, including sexual assault and the Kansas Board of Regents social media policy.
In response to recent controversy about how the University handles sexual assault reports, Gray-Little has created a task force of 11 members to look over current sexual assault policies. The task force includes students, staff and faculty, and will be co-chaired by Angela Murphy, a graduate student and Title IX Roundtable development coordinator and Alesha Doan, the chair of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies department.
"I'm glad for the energy on campus around addressing this issue and trying to move forward in some way."
BERNADETTE GRAY-LITTLE Chancellor
"I'm looking for recommendations from this group about things we might do or should be doing," Gray-Little said.
She said the task force will discuss what can be done to
improve current policies, help prevent sexual assault, make resources more available and transparent and provide support to survivors.
Suggestions pulled from the Chancellor's webpage and examples from last Thursday's sexual assault panel will be given to the task force, which will have a few months to make recommendations.
"I'm glad for the energy on campus around addressing this issue and trying to move forward in some way," Gray-Little said. "I want to take advantage of this energy."
Sexual assault training will also now be mandatory for all students, staff and faculty members.
The University Senate is drafting a procedure that would address how the University would implement the Kansas Board of Regents' social media policy.
"The idea was to say that there needs to be a way to include accountability so that you know that at least there's been exposure to it," she said.
"I don't want just to meet the minimal expectations; we want to be better than that and in some ways be a model of how a university should address this" she said.
Gray-Little said she hopes these steps make the University's process better.
Social Media
SEE GRAY-LITTLE PAGE 3
Actor Rob Riggle waves to the crowd at Saturday's Homecoming football game against Texas. Riggle served as the grand marshal for this year's Homecoming parade, which was on Friday.
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
2 NICK VANWYHE
Student vies for House seat
4 SEXUAL ASSAULT What it really means to "man up:" a Christian approach to intimacy
4 SEXUAL ASSAULT
Celebrate National Coffee Day with these fun facts
5 COFFEE
8 SOCCER
The Jayhawks defeat Baylor, TCU over the weekend
University hosts blood drive
MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHarford
The University is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive across campus. The blood drive will start today and run through Oct. 3.
Last year, the Red Cross collected 331 pints of blood which resulted in saving 993 lives all through the generous donations of University students. This year they are hoping to have more donors to generate an even larger impact. When one student donates a pint of blood, that in turn can help save the lives of three separate people.
Jan Hale, external communications manager for the Red Cross in Oklahoma, said "every two seconds someone is in need of blood." Since frequent donors are only able to donate blood
Tips for donation day: drink plenty of water a few days before donating as well as on the donation day, eat a meal or snack before donating, bring your driver's license — not your KU student ID — a list of any medications you are taking, and comfortable clothing — preferably a short sleeve shirt. For first time donors who feel unsure about donating, Hale offers encouragement.
"Just remember," she said, "you are doing something very important for someone else. The person on the other end of what you are doing is in the crisis of a lifetime."
CRYPTOQUIPS 6
OPINION 4
Prospective donors can schedule an appointment through redcross.org, but walk-ins are also welcome.
every 56 days, the Red Cross is constantly looking for new donors.
Edited by Drew Parks
BLOOD DRIVE LOCATIONS
Sept. 29
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ellsworth Residence Hall
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
University of Kansas Law School
Sept. 30
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 8
SPORTS 8
SUDOKU 6
Sept. 30
1 - 5 p.m.
Hashinger Residence Hall
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
University of Kansas
Pharmacy School
2- 6 p.m.
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
Oct. 2
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
University of Kansas Union
Ballroom
Oct. 1
2- 6 p.m.
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority
2- 6 p.m.
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority
Oct. 3
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
University of Kansas Union
Ballroom
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2014 The University Daily Kansan
Monday Night Football.
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