Just a few weeks after Spring practice wrapped up and a short while before Fall camp begins, Turner Gill is now faced with the task of replacing his defensive coordinator. It was announced today that Carl Torbush will be stepping away from coaching the sport of football due to a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The University of Kansas made the surprising announcement this morning with the good news being that Torbush is expecting a full recovery following surgery in the near future.
During his one year with the Jayhawks Torbush led a Kansas defense that struggled a great deal and when you look at the statistics it doesn't paint a glowing picture. However those that watched the Jayhawks on the field would likely admit that if there was an area that Kansas improved most, it was on the defensive end. Furthermore the future on the defensive side of the ball has generated some excitement due to improvements at the linebacker position and some key position changes like that of defensive end Toben Opurum.
During his career Torbush coached in 11 bowl games and helped along the careers of several notable NFL players including Julius Peppers. Coach Turner Gill is expected to hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the situation from a football perspective. Odds seem to favor an internal hire based on the timing of the decision from Torbush but certainly the first concern for Kansas coaches and players is the health of coach Torbush in this situation.