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Kansas went 9-4 in 2023 and won a bowl game for the first time since the conclusion of the 2007 season. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Kansas now has one of the highest-paid football coaches in the Big 12.
A decade ago, the sentence above would be incomprehensible. But in February of 2024, it’s one that makes perfect sense given the conference realignment carousel and the way that Kansas football has emerged under coach Lance Leipold.
The school announced Wednesday that it had signed Leipold to a reworked contract through the 2029 season. Leipold’s new contract reportedly averages approximately $7 million a season and makes him one of the three highest-paid coaches in the conference without adding any years onto his previous contract.
“Today’s announcement is an indicator of two absolute truths surrounding Kansas Football – Lance Leipold is among the very best coaches and leaders in the country and the University of Kansas continues to be unwavering in its commitment to building a championship-caliber football program for the long haul,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said in a statement. “Since Lance and his staff arrived in Lawrence, our program has seen exponential growth in every facet both on and off the field.
Kansas hired Leipold from Buffalo after the 2020 season and has made a bowl game in each of the past two seasons after a 2-10 campaign in 2021. Kansas finished the 2023 season at 9-4 and won the Guaranteed Rate Bowl over UNLV.
It was the first nine-win season for the Jayhawks since KU went 12-1 in 2007. Leipold made approximately $5 million in 2023 and had received a contract extension and a raise in November of 2022.
Before Leipold arrived at KU, Kansas had posted just one winning season since that Orange Bowl campaign nearly 17 years ago. The Jayhawks were 8-5 in 2008 and then cratered…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-makes-lance-leipold-one-of-the-highest-paid-coaches-in-the-big-12-after-9-4-season-190656860.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-02-28 19:06:56
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