SB Nation Kansas City - Defining Success For Kansas Football In 2012: Coachinghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2012-07-24T09:00:41-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/29284742012-07-24T09:00:41-05:002012-07-24T09:00:41-05:00Defining Success For Kansas Football In 2012: Maximize The Talent
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<img alt="Apr 28, 2012; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Charlie Weis watches during the second half of the Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D4hSa0e8wYdVrbFVUuMOlSod-bI=/0x196:461x503/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6695844/20120428_ajw_sr9_127.jpg" />
<figcaption>Apr 28, 2012; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Charlie Weis watches during the second half of the Spring Game at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Charlie Weis must find a way to get the most out of what he has in terms of effort, scheme and execution in 2012. </p> <p>As we continue our look at what will help define success for Kansas football in 2012 we are again reminded that this is a team that was 2-10 a year ago and winless in the Big 12. It was bad no question about it, but how could the talent at hand be that bad? </p>
<p>The current roster is made up of several holdovers from one of Mark Mangino's best classes, Turner Gill's two seasons of strong recruiting and a transfer group assembled by current coach Charlie Weis. Continuity has been an issue, the coaching has been an issue, but can the talent be that bad?</p>
<p>If you glance back at the recruiting rankings it wouldn't appear to be. Watching Kansas a year ago it felt as if there wasn't a Big 12 player on the roster at times. That just isn't the case. There is talent on this team, it just isn't being developed from a strength and conditioning standpoint or from a coaching standpoint.</p>
<p>Weis has had a short nine month stretch to change that and by all accounts the offseason conditioning program should set the table and put these players in a position to compete from a physical standpoint. The next step is putting players in a position to maximize their talent. Weis and defensive coordinator Dave Campo are extremely bright and successful football minds and it is there job to put players in a position to compete.</p>
<p>It's been said before that success might not come in the form of 8 wins and a bowl game or even 5 wins for that matter. What Weis and Campo must do in order for this season to be considered a success is put a game plan in place each week that allows this team to be competitive and affords players an opportunity to showcase the talent that is on this roster.</p>
<p>Weis has openly stated that Kansas State is a program that Kansas should be targeting as a model. You won't find a coach in the business that is better at maximizing talent than Bill Snyder. In 2012 Weis will have a team that isn't built on Notre Dame or Florida recruiting success. Weis will have a Kansas team that will need every ounce of his energy and football knowledge in order to turn the corner. That starts this year with finding a way to show that this team and this program isn't void of talent, it simply hasn't been tapped into or maximized over the past two seasons.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/7/24/3180951/defining-success-for-kansas-football-in-2012-maximize-the-talentOwen RCT2012-07-17T08:09:43-05:002012-07-17T08:09:43-05:00Defining Success For Kansas Football In 2012: Coaching
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<p>Kansas will look for drastic improvements from the new coaching staff in 2012. </p> <p>One of the major issues during the past two seasons in Lawrence has been the coaching. General incompetency and a completely unorganized program were both the product on display due to the fact that the coach in charge wasn't providing the right direction for the program. Charlie Weis steps in at a time when Kansas desperately needs to show improvement on the football field and while the wins and losses might have to improve with time, there are still going to be measures of success in 2012.</p>
<p>The refreshing thing about Weis from the get go is that he embraced the challenge. Weis pointed to the West and at Kansas State as a program and a level of success that Kansas needs to aim for. With Missouri out of the picture it's crystal clear and Bill Snyder has pretty well solidified himself as one of the great college coaches ever. </p>
<p>Can anyone match that level of success? Maybe not, but the advantage that Bill Snyder provides his team on any given Saturday is reflected in his teams preparedness, the teams game planning and the overall organized look of the team on gameday. That is exactly what Kansas fans will want to see from Charlie Weis and the Jayhawks this fall.</p>
<p>10 wins isn't necessary, even 7 wins isn't necessary. Both of those scenario's would be welcome benchmarks, but given a two win season and the train wreck that Jayhawk fans witnessed on Saturday's last fall, competency can help define success in 2012. That starts with coaching. </p>
<p>Weis needs to put a product on the field that doesn't embarrass the University and the alumni base. Weis needs to put his players in a position to succeed. Finally, Weis needs to run a disciplined, buttoned up program that competes for four quarters. It's the model that Mark Mangino used when he experienced success at Kansas and while the styles do differ, Weis has already made strides toward the same standard within the program.</p>
<p>It comes down to coaching and leadership. Who sets the tone at the top and what is the tone and expectation surrounding the program. This is something that should be evident from the get go based on the state of the program over the past two seasons and because of that, it should help to define success or failure for Kansas football in 2012.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/7/17/3164444/defining-success-for-kansas-football-in-2012-coachingOwen RCT2012-07-13T09:00:35-05:002012-07-13T09:00:35-05:00Defining Success For Kansas Football In 2012: Wins And Losses
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<img alt="Apr 28, 2012; Lawrence, KS, USA; A general view of Memorial Stadium before the Kansas Jayhawks Spring Game. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UOG14L4L-LPv_IxNfiCdXhDDK-E=/1x0:999x665/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6695754/20120428_ajw_sr9_096.jpg" />
<figcaption>Apr 28, 2012; Lawrence, KS, USA; A general view of Memorial Stadium before the Kansas Jayhawks Spring Game. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Wins are always the most significant measure when determining success in college athletics. Kansas has an uphill climb so expectations are tempered and the barometer of success will extend far beyond the number of wins.</p> <p>As Charlie Weis enters his first season as the head coach of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> he is taking on a rebuilding job with a program that finished 2-10 last season. Perhaps the bigger issue with the previous era under Turner Gill wasn't necessarily those numbers, but the overall organization and competitiveness of the program.</p>
<p>Gill made no secret that he would be building with youth and that he felt Kansas needed some time to right the ship after the end of the Mark Mangino era. The biggest problem for those surrounding the Kansas program was the complete lack of progress during Gill's two seasons. In fact it seemed as if there was steady regression taking place at the hand of Gill and his staff.</p>
<p>Enter into the picture Charlie Weis. How will Kansas and Weis define success during the 2012 season? How will fans define success? These are the questions facing a program that many have very low expectations for this fall.</p>
<p>To answer the first question it's a pretty easy answer. No coach who has experienced Super Bowl championships is going to tell you that he expects to lose. When Charlie Weis sets out this fall he is going to look to win every week. That's his goal and you won't hear any different. His actions in the offseason reflect someone who wants to win now as Weis has turned over a large percentage of the team and added a host of potential contributors in 5th year and junior college transfers. Win and win now, that's going to define success for Weis and Kansas from an internal standpoint.</p>
<p>Stepping away from that view and taking on the view of a Kansas fan, expectations are likely tempered. The reality of the situation is that Kansas was 2-10 last year and lacked competitiveness in a lot of areas. The culture has to change, the physical makeup of the team has to change and the mental makeup of the team has to change.</p>
<p>Based on the offseason rumor mill it seems that Weis has done a good deal to address these areas as quickly as possible, but it still isn't going to have the effect of waving a magic wand. Wins could be hard to come by in a difficult Big 12 conference and because of that, fan expectations in terms of wins and losses needs to align with the task at hand.</p>
<p>Looking at the schedule there is probably one game that can be viewed as a 'should win'. South Dakota State is a 1AA school but after that Kansas has Rice and a road game against Northern Illinois during the non-conference. Beyond that it's all Big 12 competition and Kansas finished last a year ago.</p>
<p>Optimistically success for Kansas in the win column would probably be defined in the 4-6 win range with 6 bringing near jubilation in Lawrence. Again, Weis and the Kansas team likely won't acknowledge those lowered expectations and they shouldn't, but fans of Kansas and those looking to see progress with the program will certainly be happy to see that level of competitiveness and growth on the field. </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/7/13/3156754/defining-success-for-kansas-football-in-2012-wins-and-lossesOwen RCT