The Kansas bowling team did not look far for its new coach. Former Kansas bowler Alan Emmons filled the position vacated by former coach Mike Fine.

Alan Emmons, the new bowling coach, guides some of his players Tuesday afternoon. Emmons is orignially from Loveland Colorado.

Emmons was chosen from four candidates who interviewed to take over as coaching and recreation coordinator for Fine, who left to take a coaching position at Florida State.

Emmons was a member of the men’s bowling team for three of his four years at Kansas, and was on the National Championship team in 2004 during his senior year. He also worked for the Jaybowl for four years.

“When we looked at the pros and the cons of each candidate, Alan had more pros than anyone else and that’s why we decided to go with Alan,” Director of Union Operations Jim Waite said. “The fact that he worked in the Jaybowl for four years as a student employee, was on the bowling team, well liked by the bowling team members and Mike Fine spoke highly of him, all that helped, without a doubt.”

Waite served as the chair on the search committee in finding a replacement. Senior bowler Zach Taylor was also a member of the search committee and said it was a positive choice because bowlers who were at KU would not have to worry about a drastic overhaul.

“We weren’t going to have a big changing of the guard. Things would remain pretty much the same as they had been,” Taylor said. “I felt that was a good thing for people that had already signed up.”

Emmons said the fact that the bowlers were familiar with him should make the transition go smoothly.

“A lot of the people that are coming back know how I led the team with Marc D’Errico, my senior year, and a lot of them are anxious to step up to the role,” he said. “They know where I’m from and they know that I’m very open and they can present anything they want, to me.”

The former bowler will not only be working with the bowling team. He will also be in charge of Jaybowl operations.

“My primary concern is that the Jaybowl, financially, becomes a success,” Waite said. “The focus is on the retail side. We had a really rough year last year.”

Whether it’s coaching one of the top bowling teams in the nation or running a bowling alley, Emmons will have the shadow of a Coach of the Year and National Championship looming over him. Nevertheless, after only two months into his tenure he has impressed Waite.

“Alan has already shown to me that he’s working his butt off trying to get that place up and running and ready for fall,” Waite said. “Hopefully if he follows the path he is, I think we’ll be OK.”