Wednesday, January 23, 2008
On Jan. 3, the Kansas Jayhawks perched near the top of the college football world, improbable Orange Bowl champions and one of the sport’s feel-good stories.
Four days later, the exodus began.
Wide receivers coach Tim Beck headed north to fill a spot on Nebraska’s coaching staff. All-Americans Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins announced their intent to enter the NFL Draft after their junior campaigns. And defensive coordinator Bill Young accepted the same position at Miami.
For Jayhawk football followers still basking in the warmth of a 12-1 season and admiring their South Beach tans, the biggest news of January might have been the ever-expanding row of awards lining up on Mark Mangino’s mantle. For fans who have peeled off their rose-colored sunglasses and stopped sipping fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice, the loss of Young is a definite cause for concern.
During his six-year stay at Kansas, Young was anything but an attention-grabber. He looked more like a grandfather than a guru. When talking football, Young spoke in honest terms, free of common coach-speak and platitudes. He didn’t mince words and wasn’t afraid to acknowledge weaknesses, as he did early in the 2007 season when he said the Kansas pass-rush needed some serious work.
Young could locate talent in the most unlikely of places, a valuable skill in a region high on demand for football players and low on supply. He helped pluck Chris Harris out of Bixby, Okla., late in the recruiting process last year. A lightly-recruited high school wide receiver-turned Big 12 cornerback, Harris made 65 tackles and two interceptions as one of the Jayhawks’ defensive mainstays.
Young could develop average-looking players into major contributors and coach undersized defenders into stars. Four years ago, James McClinton arrived at Kansas a too-short, too-squat three-star recruit. Three weeks ago, McClinton ended his collegiate career as a second-team All-American and Big 12 Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year. During his seasons spent learning from Young, McClinton harnessed his talents, learned how to properly release those talents, and went from afterthought to the worst nightmare of every offensive lineman in the Big 12.
Young’s slate of tangible accomplishments at Kansas is impressive. He inherited a train wreck of a defense that allowed 472 yards per game in his first season as coordinator. That number slipped to 412 the next year, 345 the next, 303 in 2005, kicked up to 378 in 2006 and shot back down to 317 last season. During that span, he coached current professionals Charles Gordon and David McMillan and future NFL Draft pick Aqib Talib.
Whether it was a cause for or a symptom of his success, Young connected with his players at Kansas – and made a lasting impression.
“Coach Young is a great guy. He’s one of those guys you could go fishing with and just waste the whole day away because he’s a great conversationalist and a great person,” safety Darrell Stuckey said. “I like being around people like that – people you can learn something from because they just breathe success and want to improve life for all of us. He promotes life and knows that football isn’t everything, but it’s a great game and he loves it and puts his heart into it.”
If next year’s Jayhawk defense isn’t quite as stout as it was in 2007, some fans will lament the losses of Talib to the NFL and McClinton to graduation. In reality, Young’s under-the-radar flight to Miami could have a greater effect on the team’s fortunes.
Is Bill Young irreplaceable? Probably not. Tough to replace? Most definitely.
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