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UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDIA CONFERENCEDecember 8, 2014David BeatyBernadette Gray-LittleSheahon ZengerTHE MODERATOR: Good morning. Thank you for being here. Just two quick announcements before we get started. The first one is when we get to the question‑and‑answer session, we're going to have a couple of wireless microphones among you, so please wait until one of those microphones gets to you before you ask your question so that the folks watching and listening can hear what your question is. The second announcement is that we'll have a couple of players, KU players, Jake Love and Michael Cummings, available to you in the chancellor's lounge after the press conference is over. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the chancellor of the University of Kansas, Bernadette Gray‑Little. Dr.Little? BERNADETTE GRAY‑LITTLE: Good morning. First I want to thank the search committee for the many hours that they put into this thorough process and for the great outcome. I had an opportunity last week to speak with Coach Beaty, and as a result of that conversation, I know that, like me, he believes that our students and athletes deserve great teachers and great coaches, and football is no exception to that. I also believe that he has the energy and the values and the skills to bring pride and performance to our football program. So I want to say welcome to Coach Beaty, or welcome back. We are delighted that you are here. DAVID BEATY: Thank you. SHEAHON ZENGER: Thank you for coming today. We announced the hiring of David Beaty as our head football coach late Friday afternoon. As we went through this search process, we had several advantages that we have not had at times in the past. Time, Chuck Neinas and a search committee. As we wove through the expected ebbs and flows of this search, knowing the incredible importance of this hire to the entire Jayhawk community, our primary goal was for a moment or moments of clarity. We were searching for an individual of high character who had led and would lead young men through periods of intense transition and competition that face all college football players today. As you might expect, we were searching for someone whose offensive and defensive philosophies fit the Big 12 Conference. Two qualities that quickly rose to the top of our list: Number one, fit with the University of Kansas both internally and externally; number two, the ability to recruit the Big 12 region. We were looking for someone who carried himself confidently, yet with a humble nature, someone who valued substance over style, someone who would undersell and overproduce, and finally, just work hard. What we found in David Beaty is not only someone who exhibits these qualities but is also a highly respected teacher, coach, recruiter, and colleague in the football fraternity. He's a man that has established relationships at all levels in the Big 12 footprint. We also found an individual who is part of an emerging niche within college football today. He established himself early as a successful head high school coach in the state of Texas and successfully transitioned into the college ranks. Having served in various positions and roles on multiple staffs, he is no stranger to the University of Kansas. As we migrated through our list of candidates and continued to seek clarity, the committee reached a consensus: End the search and go get David Beaty. As one committee member so aptly put it, I would fight with some coaches, I would fight for David Beaty. Many disciplines in academia today study leadership, and we often hear them refer to specific leaders and having "it" or the "it factor." I believe that what we found in our next head coach at the University of Kansas is a man who has "it" with a capital I. Your head coach, David Beaty. DAVID BEATY: Thank you, Chancellor, and thank you, Dr.Zenger, for that introduction. I am honored to be back here as the head coach of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. It's a great day for me and my family. Before we get started I want to take just a second to thank some of the key leaders at the University, some of which are the most impressive people that I've encountered in my career. First I want to start with our chancellor, Bernadette Gray‑Little. Her leadership is unparalleled, and thank you for your time. Our AD, Dr.Sheahon Zenger, who has done a tremendous job as we went through this search, and certainly the search committee, who did a very thorough job and did a very professional job as they conducted this search. My condolences to them. I also want to thank our fans, the students, and the supporters here at the University of Kansas. It is those people who made me understand when we were here before what a great place this is, and it's a big reason why we're back here today. Next part is always tough for me. I'm going to get through it pretty quick. I want to thank my family, my wife of 18 years, Raynee, and my two beautiful daughters, Avery and Alexa, and I thought there was something interesting, one of my colleagues here asked Alexa what her favorite thing over the last two days was, and she said, "the weight room." She liked that hill over there. Spoken like a true coach's daughter. I love you guys, and thank you for your support. Listen, this is a great day because this is about the University of Kansas. It's about the community of Lawrence and the great state of Kansas. University of Kansas is one of the greatest universities in the country. The people here are very passionate, and we have a shared value with that, with regard to me and my family. One of the things I love about this place is that hard work and humility is a minimum expectation, and that is something we identify with. You know, there's a lot of things about this place that captured me when we first got here, but one of the things that always sticks out in my mind is going to any KU sporting event, and when the game is actually imminent with the win, the victory is imminent, you get to hear that low, building, "rock chalk Jayhawk" chant. I can assure you I've been to some of the finest venues in the country, I dare say in the world, and there's not much that captures you like that moment and that here at the University of Kansas, and I'm proud to be back here and be a part of that. Kansas, the University, the students here deserve a successful football program, and we have a plan in place for that. The foundation of our plans are going to rest squarely on a couple of different concepts: Hard work and earning everything. We're going to earn the support of our students, our fans, the high school coaches of this great state, from east to west, north to south, and the recruits in this great state. We're going to earn them one person at a time, one relationship at a time. That segues me really easily into the area of recruiting and the lifeblood of any program and getting the right guys to your place, surrounding your team with the right guys. The way we'll do that is through the usage of our relationships. Our philosophy is very simple. We think it's a relationship business. Our relationships that we have already developed with high school coaches of this state, this great state, and in states in other areas that we will recruit are going to be key pieces to our success, and we're going to enlist those men's help. We also want to do a good job of keeping the best players in the state of Kansas right here at home at their university. That is top priority for us, and we do that by building relationships not only with them but with their coaches and their parents and the families and the fans. We want to develop a walk‑on program because we only get so many scholarships a year, and there's a lot of guys out there in the state of Kansas that want to be a part of their great program, and that walk‑on program can be powerful. We want it to be the most powerful walk‑on program in the country, and that's a goal of ours, and we want to open the doors to more than just 25 a year of the great athletes that there are here in the great state of Kansas. We truly want this to become a Kansas identity football team. We're going to hit the state of Texas, we're going to hit the state of Oklahoma, we're going to hit the state of Missouri, but make no mistake, it'll be a Kansas identity football team. In addition to that, with recruiting, one of the biggest things that we have to do here, and I have an advantage here because I was a high school football coach and I respect those guys so much because you don't get to choose your players there. You've got to develop them. And this is a player development business, and for us, that's key and paramount. It's one of the things that we'll hang our hats on is the development of players. And how do we do that? Very simply. We've got to bring a staff here, and we will bring a staff here that is second to none in the country, not only men that can teach but men that can recruit and develop relationships and produce productive citizens off the field and in the future. I will tell you this: That pool is small. Guys that can do one or the other is pretty big, but the pool of both that can do both, both teach and recruit, it's small, and relationships are the key to getting those men to come here. I'm happy about the guys that we're going to be able to add to our staff. Those guys got to be able to bring out the potential of our players, and they've got to be able to build the players that help us create the proud program that we want. One of the most important hires that I'll make here is the leader of our strength and conditioning program. That program is going to be based on three very simple things: Hard work, discipline, and accountability, every day. Every day, every way. I've got to quit looking at my daughters. Let's talk about football for just a second. Hey, listen, I'm excited about the direction we're going in. Let's talk about something that's really fun for me to talk about, which is what we want to put on that field. We want to bring you something that you can be proud of, and we're going to do that by bringing a couple of different styles here. Offensively, let's talk about that. Real easy. Fast‑paced, up‑tempo offense that places high pressure on defenses, things that don't allow them to communicate with their coaches at the sideline. It's going to attract top recruits, and it's going to be an exciting brand of football that's going to make people want to come to Memorial Stadium. We're going to employ an attacking defense. I'm very fortunate to be able to have kept Clint Bowen here with us as our defensive coordinator. The guy is one of the best in the country if not the best in the country. The things I love about him, the characteristics when I think about his defense, when I talk about people across the country, the terms that come out are a defense that is aggressive that wreaks havoc and confuses offenses, and a defense that creates takeaways, a defense that steals possessions, and that's what we've got to do to be successful here, and I'm excited about him being here with us. And then last but certainly not least and will certainly become first is the hidden third of special teams. We're going to create an advantage in this area that our opponents simply may not have by overemphasizing and outworking people in this third. We're going to win that third, and I'm excited about bringing a very aggressive style to University of Kansas with regard to special teams. I'll close with just a couple of different comments. The goal is very simple. It's to bring you a program, the state of Kansas, the University, everybody involved with the University of Kansas a program that they can be proud of. A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step, and that's what I'm ready to do, and I can't wait to get started. I'll finish with this: We are so excited to be here. Kansas feels like home, and I will promise you this: We will sacrifice everything, including sleep, to bring you a program you can be proud of. I'll be ready to take some questions at this point. Q. I was just wondering the thought process when you decided to take this. How much time did you have to spend thinking about if this was the right move? Obviously you're very excited, but did you have to spend time kind of debating that or obviously talking about your family, or not much? DAVID BEATY: To answer your question very directly, it didn't take much time at all, and the reason it didn't is because we have an excellent genuine love for this program. When I talked with the members of the committee and I talked with Dr.Zenger, I made it very clear that while I wanted to be the head football coach here that we love this University, and the first and foremost thing that we want it for it to be successful. My goal and my comment was choose the right guy. Choose the right guy, and we are humbled to be here, and I'll tell you this: It took us no time because we absolutely love this place. The community is great. My wife and kids absolutely love it here. We have friends, we have a lot of different relationships already developed, so to answer your question, it didn't take us long at all. Q. Having history with KU, talk about what I think would have to be a built‑in advantage to returning in the position you're in now. DAVID BEATY: I think you're right. You know, one of the things that will help us, obviously, is understanding the environment that is the University of Kansas. I think that puts you ahead. There's no doubt about that. My familiarity, I certainly am at an advantage right now because I know a lot of the people in this room. It feels like a reunion. I'm looking around and seeing all the faces here, and I can't wait to get over there and shake some of their hands. I haven't seen them in a long time. But I also understand how the University works, and I think sometimes that may be one of the biggest challenges for coaches is getting the lay of the land and understanding how things go. In addition to that, I'm familiar with a lot of kids on the roster. Jake Love and Michael Cummings are sitting here today, and you're not going to hear me talk a whole lot more about this. I want it to be about them, these guys, these guys that sacrifice each and every day. This program is about our state and it's about our players, and I have a familiarity with those guys, and I think that is another thing that might give us a little bit of an advantage moving forward, but at the end of the day, it's about their hard work, so we're looking forward to getting started. Q. You talked about having Clint on the staff. Can you just talk about how that worked, conversations with him, and was that even part of the interview process? Did that come up during your interview? DAVID BEATY: Well, it wasn't part of the interview process, but I want to say this first. My respect for Clint Bowen is unparalleled. He is one of the finest defensive minds in this country. I will tell you this: That he is very sought after throughout this country, and for great reasons, because he is a tremendous football mind, and he's of unbelievable value to us and this University for what he brings. But in addition to that, he's a very dear friend. I've been on the staff with him before. Our families have been very close friends for a long time. We've spent time on vacations together, and it's a familiarity that helps put us and give us a little bit more of an advantage even than what I talked about before. Not only do I believe in what he does, I believe in his production, and I've seen with my own eyes what he's capable of doing, and he was a key piece to us moving forward here and being able to achieve what we wanted to achieve. I hope that answers your question. Q. Here in the Big 12 we have a couple recent examples of how programs can get turned around and become national contenders, national players in TCU and Baylor and obviously before that Kansas State for a number of years now. Are there lessons to be learned from those schools doing what Kansas would like to achieve, or do you hold them out as goals or reminders that this is a realistic process that you guys can go through here? DAVID BEATY: Absolutely, and that's a very good point. I think what you're seeing with some of the resurgence of some of those programs is a very similar blueprint. You're talking about men that have great relationships with high school coaches, not only in the state of Texas but in the surrounding states, states adjacent to the areas where they actually reside, and I think that's a big deal. You're seeing a growing trend in college football of former high school football coaches who are having and finding success at the Division I level, and one of the reasons that is is because we, and I say 'we' humbly as a member of that fraternity, we have an understanding and a relationship with those men that we understand that they are some of the finest coaches in the country and that they have to develop, and those relationships are there and they have an affiliation, and we want to help them and they want to help us. For us we strive to be like those programs, and that's one reason that I'm really excited about being here is because we have some really good friends out there that want to see us do well here, and I'm looking forward to calling on those relationships. Q. Hadl, James, Cromwell, Riggins, and other all‑time greats came from Kansas. It seems like today those caliber players are going to Oklahoma, Nebraska. How realistic is it to think that you can get the cream of the Kansas crop? DAVID BEATY: Well, first of all, I want to just talk a second about those men. One of the things that we want to do is we want to make sure we understand our history, that we're standing on the shoulders of giants here, and you just mentioned them by name. The men in that ring of honor, our kids first have to understand where we've been to know where we're going and who built this place and that all of us are responsible in that regard. I think one of the things that will help us with regard to attracting those type of players is the type of coaches that we bring in here and the relationships and their evaluation ability. I think that's very important. With this day and age there is a ton of really good players out there. The thing that we have to do a great job of, and not unlike some of the schools in our conference that have done a good job of resurging in their programs, is evaluating and finding the right players and developing them. It's been my experience in the past that it doesn't matter what type of player that you bring, he still needs development. He still needs discipline, structure, and development. So I think that's going to be the big thing. I said it a little bit earlier. One of the biggest things for us honestly is we've got to find the right guys, and we want to make sure that we don't settle for anything less than guys that fit the Kansas way. That's first and foremost for us. We want to create a team of successful men. That way we can help those people that come into our program that might need a little bit of extra help. Once we've got that team built, we're able to help those that really need that help, and we're able to make good decisions when we decide who we're taking. Does that help you? Q. I wonder if you can take us through what the next couple weeks will be like in terms of hiring a staff, a timeline for that, and also you have a few days left to try to recruit and what that's going to be like. DAVID BEATY: Well, first of all, I will say this. The last few days have been definitely an experience. My phone has been‑‑ I don't know if it's working anymore to be honest with you. But the next few days, they'll be a great challenge, but man, I'm looking forward to it. A lot of the time will be spent on settling staff, and I will tell you that we're not in any hurry there. The key is the right men. Not men, but the right men, the right people to get here to help our men achieve what they want. So that's going to be of utmost importance. But really my focus when I leave here today is focused on going on and doing a great job of identifying the men that we've got to close this class out with, the men that are going to help us create that program that we talked about, something that we can be proud of, and that's going to be a process that we've got to get going here because we've only got a week until it ends‑‑ it gets dead here for about a month. We're going to be on planes, trains and automobiles all over the country, me and a couple of staff members that we have right now. It's going to be very business in that regard, but I will tell you this. The first thing that we're going to do is we're going to start right here in our backyard. I'm going to go see these high school coaches right here in this city and the guys in the surrounding areas, and I want them to understand that we're here for them, that this is their university, and that we're here to help them. Q. How closely have you paid attention to KU the last couple years, and at any point during the year did it start creeping into your mind that maybe Kansas was a destination for you? DAVID BEATY: Well, let me just say this: My philosophy has always been this: That it's hard to do a good job where you're at if your focus is somewhere else. My focus is always exactly where I am at, but I will say this: One of the reasons that I get choked up is not just my family, but I have a love for this University. I have a love for the University of Kansas and for this football program. It matters to me what happens with this place. I have friends that were on this staff, I have friends that are in administration here, I have friends in this University, and it mattered to me. To answer your question, I did my job where I was every day to the best of my ability, but when I had a free moment, I was watching to see how my Jayhawks were doing because it was important to me. At no time did I ever think about this coming to fruition. See, I believe this: That opportunities, they're a byproduct of your hard work. I don't think that‑‑ or at least for me, I've never believed you talk your way into an opportunity, I think you work your way into it. Q. Sort of the same lines I guess but more like the big picture for you personally, did you think your timeline as a college head coach would kind of fall in line with what it's been right now when you started out in high school or maybe made your first jump to a college assistant job? Did you think by 44 you'd be right here right now, or is this sooner or later than you might have thought originally, or did you think that way? DAVID BEATY: Well, it's always been a goal of mine to be a head coach at a major Division I university but not just any major Division I university. My wife can tell you that I'm one of those guys that I really am who I say I am. It's about work and opportunities come as a byproduct. So from my standpoint, I believe that‑‑ I believe that my Lord and Savior opens the right doors at the right time, if that makes sense. Q. Can you kind of go through what the process will be with current players, how you meet with them and how you maybe make appraisals of the talent that you have that exist here right now? DAVID BEATY: Right. That's already started. I got to meet with those guys just the other day. It was an outstanding visit, and we started it in a different spot. We didn't come up here in this room. We went down in the weight room, and the reason we did that was because I wanted to send the message to our guys real quick about where we're going and how we're going to get there, and one of the big things for us was I wanted to make our guys understand that this is about them, and I wanted to make sure they understood the vision and how we're going to get there, and that's why we started where we did, because championships are won in weight rooms, on football fields, and in meeting rooms. They're not won with your mouth. We've got to communicate, but we win by outworking folks and having a work ethic that is second to none, and it starts there. That's kind of where we're at. What we'll do over the coming weeks, I will start meeting with them not only individually but as a unit and as a group. I think you find different things about those players in those different settings. In a group you might find something about a guy and in a unit you might find something about a guy, and I talked to our guys about this the other day, some if not all, I'm going to go see where they live, because I learn a bunch about them and who they are by just walking into their place and how I can help them, how I can help them develop. We talked a little bit the other day about there's three areas of your life, academic, athletic, and social, and not one of those areas can effectively work if the other one is out of sync. It affects the other two. So we're going to put a lot of emphasis on making sure that we balance those three areas, athletic, academic and social, and not letting one of those get in the way because our time is very important and we have to do all three of those, and we've got to do all three of them well. That's going to be the message as we get going here and talking about really the platform which is hard work and earning everything we get, and we'll do that by, listen, I've got to build relationships with my players, all right, and I talked to them the other day. I made a commitment to our seniors. This season is about our seniors that are coming up. They deserve to have a great senior year. They deserve to do something special. And my commitment is to them. That's why we're going to work tirelessly to get that done, and that's where we're headed. Okay? Q. Sheahon talked about how your interview was capital I with the "it factor." Can you go into maybe what some of the preparation was for that and also some of the main messages that you wanted to get across in that? DAVID BEATY: You know, for me the preparation was very simple. I'm kind of one of those guys that has to keep everything very tight, and for me it was very simple. I wanted to make sure that when I interviewed with the interview team and the committee that they understood who I was and what I stood for, and as a result of that, that part was easy. When I stand up here and I speak before you, I want to make sure that what we say is what we do, and we talked about that when I was in the interview, and from that standpoint, the preparation is obviously something that you put time in, and I'll tell you this, there wasn't a whole lot of sleep, because at that time I was recruiting for another school, and like I told you before, we're trying to win, and I'm doing the best job I can for them. It was obviously a challenge, but I was very fortunate because I worked for one of the greatest in the country in Kevin Sumlin, who I would be remiss if I didn't thank him for what he did for us. But he gave me the time I needed to prepare for this. Q. You mentioned fast‑paced, up‑tempo offense. Why is that important in the Big 12 and how much will you draw from what you guys did at Texas A&M? DAVID BEATY: Well, I think that's a very good question. I like that question because the Big 12 has changed so much over just the last five to seven years, it has transitioned from a league that used to be a run, play action, pass league into a spread, no‑huddle, up‑tempo type style of offense, and the defenses have changed, as well. You went from having really, really large fronts and linebacker areas of players to having a little bit longer and leaner, faster players. There's been an emphasis placed on speed in the Big 12. So that's something that I think having an understanding of what it's like now and the landscape of the Big 12, if you look at the programs that literally are being successful right now, speed is at a premium, and they're employing spread tactics, and what has had to happen is you've seen defenses go from bigger to longer, leaner, faster, and you've seen offenses go from keeping things tight to spreading things out and creating space. From that standpoint, in my opinion that's done a couple different things. I was fortunate enough to be here on my first stint, and we were a spread offensive team, and when we did that, I'll tell you this, I was excited, and those stands were full every week. It was an exciting environment. It was a really, really good ticket to have, and the reason it is is because it's fun. It's fun watching that ball go all over the yard. It's fun watching guys catch touchdown passes. It's fun watching Todd Reesing run around and swing that thing across his body for 75 yards and a touchdown on the post to Dezmon Briscoe. That stuff, man, you talk about fun, that was fun, and it can happen like that, and I think that's one thing that has really drawn people to this is it's something that's exciting to watch. It really is. And then I'll be honest with you, defenses have caught up. This whole thing, it's really interesting. Early on, the offenses get an advantage, but boy, these guys, these men are smart and they catch up, and I go back to Clint Bowen.  Trying to plan against this dude was a nightmare because every time I had an edge, he found a way to find an edge, and that's kind of the chess game. That's why I'm so happy to have him, because he understands the landscape of the Big 12. He's been in it, he knows it, and we're excited about moving forward there. Q. One of the first things you mentioned was the walk‑on program. I'm curious why is that such a priority for you and how would your program be different than standard, I guess, systems of bringing on walk‑ons? DAVID BEATY: Well, I will say this: The first reason it's important for me is because as a head coach one of my goals if I ever got to this position was that I have the understanding that there's only so many scholarships that you can give each year, and this is the state of Kansas University. This is theirs. And there's more than 25 kids in the state that want to play at their university. And while we can only give so many a scholarship to start, there's opportunity for all. Now, here's the deal. That takes work, just like anything else. It starts with not only having a recruiting board but having a Kansas recruiting board, and then being able to give people opportunities that are just outside, just outside that group of scholarship players. Listen, I'll tell you this: The margin between a scholarship player and a walk‑on is razor thin, and sometimes you don't make the right decision. That's why you've got to do a good job of evaluating and make sure you have a philosophy and trust in that. But that's the reason I think it's so important is to make sure we give opportunities to those kids that want to come to their university, to represent the Jayhawks. And here's the deal; just because you didn't get one right at the beginning doesn't mean that you won't get one a year, two, three years down the road. Once again, that falls right in line with our mantra of we will earn. Our guys will earn, and I think it's about the fabric of Kansas. It's hard‑working, humble, earning people, and there's a lot of kids out there that are wanting that opportunity to earn that chance, and that's a way we can give it to them. Q. You mentioned Coach Sumlin and obviously your philosophy and what you're all about I think is very clear today. I just wonder where that came from. Was it him? Was it other guys that you worked for? Was it family? All those values you talked about today, where were those sort of formed? DAVID BEATY: Right. You've obviously seen today, I'm a passionate guy and I get a little choked up in settings like this about people I care about, people that have done things for me. You probably won't see that much moving forward, but it's important that you see the passion from me today about those people. I appreciate the opportunities that people have given me because I've learned from a lot of really, really good men and women in my career. It starts with my mother, all the way down to Joe Martin at Garland High School, Ronny Mullins who gave me my first job at Naaman Forest High School. Kevin Sumlin, some of the ideas that I've gotten from him are things that I'll carry with for me the rest of my life. There's a reason why he's where he's at and what he's doing with his career. He's exemplary, and he gave my family an opportunity when we didn't have one. It was an honor to be a part of his program. Not only him, Coach Mangino gave me an opportunity, and I learned a lot of unbelievable things from that man, as well, having a lot of respect for him. Other men I've worked for, Turner Gill, David Bailiff is one of the finest men that you'll find in the country, what he's doing at Rice University is unbelievable, and he's the perfect fit there. He does a great job. All those guys are men that I've learned from, and I appreciate them, and they've helped shape who I am today. So like I said, I know that you've seen a little bit more passion from me maybe than you might see in the future, but it's important for me to make sure those people understand that I appreciate them. Q. You're known as an outstanding recruiter. Could you give us some insights into your philosophy behind making the in‑home visit‑‑ talking to the parents, selling football, pitching your ideas about football or athletics or academics or social? What's your ideas behind making a successful in‑home visit? DAVID BEATY: Well, I'm not going to tell you everything, but here's the deal. We'll go back to the very foundation of it. Recruiting‑‑ and you hear this a lot, and it almost sounds cliché, but it's the truth. It's a relationship business, and the thing about that for me is I think that‑‑ my mom used to always say this. You don't always have to like what I say, but what I tell you is going to be the truth, and that's what we've always operated off of is being honest and open with people, and when we're creating relationships, not only initially at the school with the high school coaches but when we get in the home with those parents, and when we promise them that they're going to walk away with a degree if they do what we ask them to do, take care of their business, and listen to us, they're going to walk away with a powerful degree that will give them income earning potential that they would not have otherwise or they may not have otherwise. So when we make those promises, it's important that when we speak it that we live it, and as a result of that, if you're not doing that, you're exposed over time. But when you are doing that, it reinforces who you are, and people talk. People talk. Now, listen, there's a lot better people out there than me, and I get that. That's why I'm trying to hire them. I'm not afraid of having better people around me. As a matter of fact it might not be very hard to do. But I'm going to tell you this, I'm going to go get the best folks in the country, and we're going to win together. Q. You mentioned degrees being important. How does Kansas's academic support team compare to the average in college probably, and what's the appropriate relationship there? DAVID BEATY: Well, first of all, I would be remiss if I did not mention the academic support. Just the overall support that we have here at the University of Kansas is remarkable. I've been at a lot of places, and listen, all of them have been good. Don't get me wrong. But there's a difference here. The support that we have, both financially, academically, is second to none. Here's the deal, though; the support is the support, the dollars are the dollars, but at the end of the day, it's about the people. It's about the people inside there. It's about the Shanda Haydens, it's about the Glenn Quicks, it's about the Paul Buskirks, and forgive me if I'm leaving anybody out because they deserve to have their name called, because those are the real champions. Our coaches work their tails off, there's no doubt about it. But if you saw what those academic people did seven days a week, morning, noon and night, let me tell you something, I couldn't do that job. They're better than I am. They're really good at what they do, and they really love those kids. They wear a lot more hats than just teaching them algebra 2 or whatever it is they're learning. They wear a lot more hats than that. They're a mom, they're a dad, they're all kinds of different things to those kids, and without them we would have a hard time existing in college athletics, but I will tell you this, our staff here is second to none, and I'm excited about being a part of it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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