At KU, "recruit" is multi-layered for Gill

By: Curtis Kitchen, 810whb.com senior writer

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – While some were emphatically for, others wholly underwhelmed and many more undecided, University of Kansas football fans got their first public view on Monday of Turner Gill, who was officially announced as head coach in Lawrence.

No matter their stance, all were ready to hear and see the former Buffalo head coach; ready to let their ears and eyes judge for themselves this guy who Kansas athletics director Lew Perkins would depict as the homerun hire he determined to land.

“We interviewed some great people,” Perkins said in his opening statements.  “But, I believe in my heart that there was no question that we found the person who we needed to coach our football team at this particular time.”

One day, one speech specifically, is not enough to know whether Perkins got all of his power behind his swing, but Gill’s words left many thinking the high-fly has a chance to clear the wall.

After referencing famous athletic alumni, kissing the fanbase and city on the cheek and announcing his coordinators, a charismatic, engaging Gill laid out his laundry list for KU football.

“Here are our top priorities,” Gill said.  “Recruit, beat Missouri, recruit, win the North, recruit, and in most cases if you win the Big 12 then you’re playing for a national championship.  And then, we’re going to recruit.”

By “recruit,” Gill had reference to bringing top football talent to Lawrence, but he just as easily could have been talking financially.  He will be measured by both those abilities in addition to, ultimately, winning football games.

A community-loving, relationship-building, really likable coach was Lew Perkins’ first, second and third pick.  He was going to get that type of guy regardless of whether his name was Jim Harbaugh or not.

He had to.  Mark Mangino’s abrasive approach had taken its toll on some boosters, some of which responded by closing their checkbooks to Perkins’ wooing – really bad timing when the AD was looking to lock down the reported $34 million needed to transform the current tough-sell Gridiron Club from an eastside-hanging banner to revenue stream.

So, that will be Gill’s charge; when he’s not in Texas and other places recruiting what he hopes will be championship-caliber, on-field talent, he will be expected to be among the masses, smiling and helping inspire championship-level donations off of it.

Forget Gill’s 20-30 coaching record, the question is whether those unusual, cumulative pressures and demands at Kansas will be too much to ask from a man who has never been a BCS head coach.

When it takes the field in 2010, KU will be only three seasons removed from its Orange Bowl win, but it will feel more like six after going 1-7 in Big 12 play this year.

The face of the program will be gone as quarterback Todd Reesing graduates.  Receiver Dezmon Briscoe has announced he is going pro.  Safety Darrell Stuckey, by far this year’s best Jayhawks defender, will also likely be playing on Sunday afternoons.

There are many, many holes to fill for a team that lost its last seven games in a row, and doing so is going to require a lot of the new head coach’s time.  Gill can leave some of the rebuild to his coordinators, Carl Torbush and Chuck Long, but in the infancy stages of his program, a guy who hasn’t done things at this level as head coach must be there.

Also, Kansas’ schedule eases a bit compared to the past two seasons, but even then, call me crazy if I don’t think just changing out Texas and Oklahoma is going to pave the way for an immediate resurgence.

KU needs to show substantial improvement next year over what Mangino’s teams brought on the whole.  Why?  Gill needs to validate Perkins’ hire for the Gridiron Club and other financial project interests like a contract worth $10 million over five years. If he doesn't provide some immediate returns, the already-seeded doubt among some could sprout, making things even tougher for Gill.

The new coach flourished as a player and assistant coach in the Cornhusker pressure-cooker.  The difference is that program was long established and running before Gill ever left his Texas prep days for Lincoln.

This is a new ballgame, and Perkins has launched him toward the wall.  It is up to Gill to recruit the lift necessary to clear the fence.


Send your comments to curtiskitchen@810whb.com.  Also, follow him @curtiskitchen on Twitter for game-day reporting and other sports news during the week!