Turner Gill was named head football coach at a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Anderson Family Football Complex.

Athletic Director Lew Perkins said Gill was a perfect fit to the puzzle.

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New Football Coach Turner Gill

Photos from Monday morning's press conference announcing Turner Gill, former University of Buffalo head coach, as the new coach of Kansas football.

“We were looking for somebody who has passion for the game of football, passion for people. We looked for somebody who understood the Big 12 and we looked for somebody who could recruit Texas and Oklahoma and all the other areas that we recruit,” Perkins said.

Perkins interviewed other candidates but said he only offered the head coaching job to Gill.

Gill said he was expecting to stay at Kansas for a long time, hopefully 15 or 20 years.

“I did not come here to use it as a stepping stone to a football dynasty, but rather to create a football dynasty here at KU,” Gill said.

Gill also formally announced some of his coaching staff. Chuck Long, formerly head coach at San Diego State, will be the offensive coordinator, and Carl Torbush, a longtime defensive coordinator in the SEC and ACC, will run the defense.

As for his coaching schemes, Gill said he would use the spread offense but also incorporate a two-back formation with a traditional fullback. The defense will use a 4-3 formation to attack and cause turnovers.

Gill isn’t waiting too long to start the job. He said he plans on meeting with the current players tonight and then calling and visiting recruits to firm up commitments this week. Perkins said he thought Gill could go to any recruit’s home in America and have an opportunity to get him to come to Kansas. Recruiting is a big part of Gill’s plans as well.

“Here are our top priorities: recruit, beat Missouri, recruit, win the North, recruit, win the Big 12,” Gill said. “As all of you know, in most cases, you win the Big 12, you’re playing for a national championship. And then we’re going to recruit.”

To lead off the press conference, Perkins asked junior offensive lineman Brad Thorson to read a message he received through Facebook from a senior football player at Buffalo regarding Gill. The player related the transition he faced when Gill became his coach in 2005 to the one Kansas players face in the months to come.

“It was a very interesting process, and we interviewed some great, great people,” Perkins said. “I really believe, in the heart of all my heart, that there is no question that we found the person who we needed to coach our football team at this particular time.”