University of Kansas Hires Buffalo’s Turner Gill

2008 MAC Champion

The University of Kansas has named University of Buffalo Turner Gill its new head football coach. Gill will make approximately $2 million annually for the next five seasons.

As head coach at Buffalo the past four years, Gill 47, compiled a 20-30 record after inheriting a program with only 12 wins in the previous eight seasons. The Mid-American coach of the year in 2007 and 2008, he guided the Bulls to the MAC championship in 2008 and their first bowl game in half a century. He called plays in 2007 when the Bulls set a school record with 424 points.

Gill wasted no time in adding some heft to his staff: He said Carl Torbush was leaving as Mississippi State defensive coordinator to join the Jayhawks in a similar capacity. Former San Diego State head coach Chuck Long will be Kansas’ offensive coordinator. Torbush was also head coach at Louisiana Tech and North Carolina, so both coordinators will bring head-coaching experience. Long was an assistant coach at Oklahoma, including offensive coordinator 2002-05.

There was a time when the mention of Gill’s name made Kansans wince. In his three years as Nebraska’s starting quarterback, the Huskers beat the down-and-out Jayhawks a combined 150-28. 31-15 in 1981, 52-0 in ‘82 and 67-13 in ‘83.

Mark Mangino, the most successful Kansas coach in 100 years, resigned under pressure on December 3 after a two-week investigation into alleged mistreatment of players. Just two years earlier, Mangino had been consensus national coach of the year following a 12-1 campaign and a victory in the Orange Bowl.