Kansas Football: Potential head coach candidates to replace David Beaty
By John McCarty
POTENTIAL HEAD COACH REPLACEMENTS
Willie Fritz (Tulane)
Willie Fritz, the former Georgia Southern coach, was rumored to have been interviewed for the Jayhawk job the last go round. After not landing the position, Fritz landed at Tulane.
Fritz has extensive experience coaching in the region, playing in college at Pittsburg State and holding jobs, along with a grad assistant job with the Gorillas, at Shawnee Mission North West high school, Coffeyville (KS) Junior College and Missouri State.
He has spent time as the head coach at Sam Houston State along with the aforementioned Missouri State and Georgia Southern. To date, Tulane is the only program he’s yet to have success at (yet) with a career coaching record 164-85.
The unique difference with Fritz is his offense. He runs an option offense, or more to the point, the spread option offense. The Jayhawks have to put a significant emphasis in running the ball and getting away from the same offense that everyone in the conference save for Kansas State appears to be running.
When every program is emphasizing the number of plays, playing really fast and throwing all the time, the Jayhawks can win by doing the opposite. They have also shown a willingness to throw the football as well, but use the quarterback in the run game.
The concern is Fritz is already 58 and has yet to ever recruit and coach at this level. However, he can be the type of guy that comes to Lawrence and ‘rights the ship’ and while he may not win a bunch of games, especially early, but his tenure could make the Jayhawks program look A LOT more attractive the next time around.