Kansas Jayhawks' Defense In Good Hands With New Defensive Coordinator Vic Shealy

The University of Kansas recently announced that defensive coordinator Carl Torbush will retire after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Losing Torbush, especially with the college football season only a few months away, will be a significant blow to a Jayhawk team trying to make it back to respectability. However, the situation isn't as dire as many Kansas fans may think, since Vic Shealy is more than capable of stepping into Torbush's shoes and leading Kansas' defense.

Shealy has already served as a defensive coordinator in the past, and his experience should make the transition go as smooth as one could expect it to so close to the upcoming season. Before joining Turner Gill's staff at Kansas, Shealy served as the defensive coordinator at Richmond. Prior to leading the Spiders' defense, he held the same position at UNLV for four seasons. Shealy knows how to lead a defense, and his experience should come in handy as takes over for Torbush.

Kansas also has the luxury of promoting someone who is already on the staff and familiar with the players. In his short time at Kansas, Shealy has already been responsible for significant improvements made on the defensive side of the ball. Under his guidance, Kansas' cornerbacks showed tremendous improvement last season, and young corners Tyler Patmon and Greg Brown continued to improve as the year progressed. Shealy has a reputation for developing talent, which is why he was labeled as a strong hire by Gill upon arriving in Lawrence.

It is never easy to replace a defensive coordinator, especially with fall practice only two months away. Luckily the Jayhawks have someone who has served as a defensive coordinator and an assistant head coach at the Division I level in the past, which should make the transition easier. It isn't an ideal situation by any means, but Kansas could do a lot worse than Vic Shealy.