Kansas football fans are about to get a behind-the-scenes look at the program’s first full spring under second-year head coach Lance Leipold — as told by one of the Sunflower State’s favorite sons.
When I think back on my journey as a fan, student, alum and now as Director of Athletics, one descriptor of the University of Kansas ultimately comes to mind first: exceptional people. That’s been true since well before I returned home last April, and the year since has only reinforced that association. Now, though, there are four other people who can sa
“How did it feel?” I’ve probably been asked that question a thousand times since we won the national championship. And while I’m not sure I’ve found the right words to accurately describe the relief, elation and surreal nature of that moment, I do know this much: I’ll never get tired of talking about it.
When Ochai Agbaji was named a consensus first-team All-America selection earlier this month, he joined maybe the most exclusive club Kansas Basketball has to offer.
Being at KU is special. Throughout my career, I've played AAU basketball, went to a Junior College, and had the opportunity to attend many different schools later on in my career. Every chapter means a lot to me.
There isn't an engine known to man capable of running without spark plugs, and the same goes for every great baseball team. They need that energy that keeps the blood flowing and heart pumping — you know, that energy that makes the whole engine go when it's time to lock in and compete.
My mom, Susan Steward, is the biggest KU fan I know. In fact, I’d argue she’s one of the biggest Jayhawk fans of all time. So, when she told me that what went down Feb. 6 cracked her list of top-five KU memories ever, well, that certainly spoke volumes — and she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
We were in the field against Campbell in a joint softball tournament at NC State in 2019. Bases were loaded, and we were doing all we could just to get out of the inning.
Nikki Wahle Barrett arrived at the University of Kansas in 1999 to play her dream sport at her dream school. In four seasons, she put together about as good of a resume as there is. She helped guide the Jayhawks to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001.
Wednesday marked the new era of Kansas football, as head coach Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks welcomed eight new members of the KU family. The signing class was the first under Leipold at KU.
Back home in Sibenik, before I left the playground, I'd always throw up one last shot and watch it go through the hoop. The entire time, I'd be saying to myself, "I need to make it to college. I have to make it."
I've never been one of those guys that remembers every moment from every game. But I can tell you one thing for a fact: I remember every single moment from every single game I ever played against Missouri to this very day.
Kansas volleyball’s return to the NCAA Tournament has extended into a second week. By virtue of their 3-1 victory over No. 20 Creighton last Friday in Omaha, Nebraska, the Jayhawks have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in program history and for the first time since the 2015 campaign.
An inside look at the 72-hour stretch that solidified KU’s postseason résumé, as told by head coach Ray Bechard, super-senior outside hitter Jenny Mosser and sophomore middle blocker Caroline Crawford.
Before my name even left Coach Lance Leipold’s mouth, I knew I was about to be the recipient of my team’s newest weekly award. And judging by the number of heads that turned around to look at me, I think most of my teammates did, too.
My mother once told me, "You can't succeed when you can't even trust yourself." I can't think of any truer words with the NCAA Championships just a few hours away.
In toppling Texas 57-56 last weekend, Kansas football made history on several levels. Prior to Saturday, the program had never won in Austin. The Jayhawks’ 57 points were the most the team had ever scored in a road tilt. An away-from-home losing streak in conference play dating back to Oct. 4, 2008, ended.
Save for a single day, Jack Roche’s three-year run as a Kansas football student manager was a master class in reliability, selflessness and hard work. And even on that lone morning when Murphy's law found its way into his dorm room, Jack still managed to prove his commitment to that job — and leave a legacy felt even after his passing.
No matter where I go, no matter how much time goes by, I can always count on running into Kansas football fans who associate me with the numbers 58 and 396.
I still remember what the skeptics told me during my recruitment. As they tried to talk me out of committing to KU, their message always sounded the same: “Why are you doing this? You have a chance to go somewhere else, somewhere that’s established. You don’t have to do this.”
I didn’t come from a whole lot. Growing up I always had what I needed but sometimes couldn’t get the things I wanted. Looking back, though, I’ve always seemed to have plenty of one thing: mentorship.
Lance Leipold will likely long remember every major detail of his first game in crimson and blue, with Kansas football’s new head coach debuting in style by way of a 17-14 come-from-behind victory over South Dakota last Friday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
A couple of visits to training camp practices, and I'm already seeing the same things with this Jayhawks team that I saw back in my playing days, 13 years ago.
There's going to be a lot of lasts this season: the last time I put on the Jayhawks uniform, the last time I wear the big blue helmet, the last time I play at Memorial Stadium, and the last time I share the field with my brothers on this team.
As we head into a new season of KU football and I kick off my final year, things are different here at the University of Kansas. We have young players on the rise, a new coaching staff, and bowl-eligibility on our minds.
When I made the decision to return to the University of Kansas in 2016, I took a bit of a leap of faith. I knew that while it may feel like taking a step back now, it is going to help me take two steps forward in the near future.
As young athletes, we always look up to the best of the best and want to be just like them. No matter the sport you play, you have these heroes you aspire to be like when you grow up.
I remember feeling like a deer in the headlights when I experienced the Olympics for the very first time in 2016. I didn’t know what to expect. Everything was just so brand new.
Former international basketball star Sasha Kaun has an NCAA championship, an Olympic bronze medal, and an NBA championship on his resume. Can you guess which one means the most to him?
I was standing on second base when the sky was starting to open up. It was the softball gold medal match against Japan at the 2000 Olympics. The stadium in Sydney, Australia, was completely sold out—15,000 screaming fans in the stands. It was so loud on the field—my mind, however, was so quiet.
I've never been more nervous for a game than I was when I stepped onto the field in a Wales jersey for the very first time. As a kid, you lay your head down at night dreaming of the impossible. And there I was living it.
Each year when Kansas Men’s Golf Coach Jamie Bermel has his introductory meeting with his team to go over rules and such, he draws on an important time in his life to deliver his message.
For Coach Carrie Cook-Callen, it is important that her athletes feel comfortable in their own skin and understand that at KU, it's all about embracing the culture of a radically inclusive boathouse—a term coined to express and showcase total inclusivity.
Fair or not, the position commands attention and demands maturity.
I'm from Greece, and I'm a basketball player. Inevitably, a lot of people wanted to give me the "Greek Freak" nickname.
Fair or not, the position commands attention and demands maturity.
Jake Schoonover knows a thing or two about the process. Take it from a guy who had side jobs and crashed as the third roommate in a two-bedroom apartment.
Fair or not, the position commands attention and demands maturity.
"Yes."
That was my response when Coach Leipold offered me the coaching job at the University of Kansas. There really wasn't anything to think about or even discuss.
Fair or not, the position commands attention and demands maturity.
When football fans file into a stadium for a game, Jim Zebrowski knows where the large majority of their eyes go
The quarterback.
Fair or not, the position commands attention and demands maturity.
Swimming doesn't define Kate Steward. While the Jayhawk Junior has a strong passion for the sport, deciding not to "take it all so seriously" was a massive turning point in Kate's career.
When members of the media asked Andy Kotelnicki, Kansas' new offensive coordinator, about the importance of the offensive line coach, he said: "The O-Line coach, in any system, is a critical part of [the football team], probably the most critical to be honest with you."
I'm different. Period. No need to beat around the bush. But as cliché as it sounds, I believe we should be using our differences in society to bring us closer together rather than drive each other further apart. Unfortunately, this is obviously not always the case.
Becoming a father changed me. It might sound cliché, but every time I look into my son's eyes, I see myself in him. This is now my flesh and blood, and I get to pour everything into him. When it comes to coaching, it's really not all that different.
Ever since I was 16 years old, being the head football strength and conditioning coach for a Power Five school has been my dream. Sounds hard to believe, I know, but truthfully, this has been all I've ever wanted to do.
Sometimes in life, an event happens – could be big or small – that shapes who you want to be in this world.
Let me tell you about two minor events that happened in my life that did just that.
When I close my eyes, I still see it—the pitch leaving my hand, the batter hitting it to shortstop, and the fans in the stands of Hoglund Ballpark going wild.
Early on Mother’s Day morning this year, I woke up curious about Lawrence – a town I hadn’t visited in nearly 30 years. I came into my office, and decided to walk around campus because I hadn’t checked it out yet. I walked down Jayhawk Boulevard and got to the top of the Union parking garage, where I was looking out.
Twenty-five days after I became the director of athletics at Kansas, I picked up my phone to call Lance Leipold. It was early in the morning; the sun was out in Lawrence and it was building to be one of the hottest days of April.
A new opportunity for the University of Kansas football coach Lance Leipold hasn't changed the man underneath—the one with the deep-seated belief that it's a coach's responsibility to leave a program better than when he found it.
When Lance Leipold was formally introduced on May 3rd as the next head coach of the Kansas University football team, his wife Kelly sat right across from the podium.
It's a new day here at the University of Kansas.
It has only been a few days since coach Leipold arrived, but you can already feel a difference.
When he got here, one of the first things he said was: "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
When Lance Leipold was preparing for life after college, he had two career paths he was interested in pursuing. He was either going to get into law enforcement with an eye on joining the Secret Service or stick with what he knew — football.
When Travis Goff walked across the stage at the Lied Center just past 10 a.m., Wednesday morning, it marked the final hour of a 24-hour experience he will remember for the rest of his life.
