KU Football: Three Things to Watch VS Memphis Tigers

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KU football head coach David Beaty talks to tight end Maciah Long -Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

The Jayhawks are young and inexperienced, but so is their head coach.

Beaty was hired in part because he has great connections in football-rich Texas, especially when it comes to high school coaches. However, he’s only been a head coach for 14 games and he’s lost 13 of them.

Head coaches are rightfully stubborn and usually carry a big ego, and Beaty proved that true after the Ohio loss where punt returner LaQuvionte Gonzalez gave the ball to the Bobcats with two muffed punts. Per Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star, Beaty decided if the job couldn’t be done correctly, he would just become the new kickoff and punt return coach.

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"“If it’s going to happen (fumbles), it’s going to be my fault,” Beaty said. “That’s why I’m doing it.”"

That is admirable of the 45-year-old, but he already has a lot on his plate. He also has shown his inexperience early this year. The Jayhawks weren’t prepared on the fist play of the season, as they were called for a false start. Another time, Beaty used time outs on back-to-back plays only to see his team come out to a delay of game penalty,

Newell, in a postgame write up, talked about Beaty’s struggles in the Rhode Island matchup despite the big win.

"Game and clock management remains a concern, though, as head coach David Beaty and company burned through too many timeouts and had too many mental mistakes with delay of games and illegal substitutions, even for game one."

For his part, Beaty does seem to have Kansas heading in the right direction. He’ll learn each and every game, but he must limit the mistakes as the season rolls on. With only Memphis left on the non-conference schedule, followed by nine Big 12 games, the stakes will continue to climb higher.

Next: Wise Beyond His Years

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