SB Nation - Kansas Jayhawks

Q+A with Rock Chalk Talk

TwistNHook — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:25 -0000

by Orlin Wagner - AP

Let's make Kansas coach Bill Self look like this more often than not.

Hey Bear fans, don't forget, this isn't just a week with a big *football* game. Now, there's also a hyuuuuuuuuuuge basketball game, too. The Cal men's basketball team takes on Kansas. Former National Champion Kansas. One of the most respected and successful basketball programs of all times. We faced them before, just a few years back in December of 2005. Leon Powe had a double double and Omar Wilkes had 13 points, but, unfortunately, it was not enough as Cal lost 69-56.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Brandon Rush scored eight points during a 24-6 run opening the second half and Kansas beat California 69-56 Saturday on a supposedly neutral court that was almost entirely pro-Jayhawk.

C.J. Giles had six points during the spree, which turned California's 34-31 halftime lead into a 53-38 advantage for Kansas (4-4), which looked terrible while missing nine of its first 10 shots.

Giles, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, also spent much of the game guarding Leon Powe, Cal's 6-8 sophomore who had been averaging 25 points and nine rebounds. Powe, sidelined by injury all last year and the first four games of this season, had eight points in the first half and 16 points and 11 rebounds for the game.

Omar Wilkes, who spent one year at Kansas before transferring back to his native California, got a nice hand from the Kemper Arena crowd during pre-game introductions and finished with 13 points.

Cal hopes to get a different result this time out. To learn more about the Jayhawks, who apparently love Rock and Chalk and, to a greater extent, Talk, we've contacted Rock Chalk Talk, SBN's Kansas blog. They agreed to do a Q+A and it is presented after the jump. The game is on ESPN on Tuesday, December 22 at 6 PM PST. GO BEARS!

1. How much of a home-court is Allen Fieldhouse, really? What can our players expect next week when they enter "the Phog"?

The home court advantage at Allen Fieldhouse is every bit of it's reputaton. Personally I think there are two phases of that. The first is the pregame. Kansas truly embraces and highlights the history of the game and the great players that have gone through the program. Players know that, and many times get caught up in it. This tends to give the Jayhawks a big advantage from the outset because they are a bit immune to the pregame festivities. A pregame atmosphere which I would put up there with the best anywhere I've ever been.

The second part is the actual noise and what the fans bring to the table during the game. First off the Fieldhouse holds 16,300. That's a fairly large building for a college basketball environment and it's full every single night. Bring 12 fat men dressed as Santa Claus on Christmas Day to play the Jayhawks and that place is going to be pretty full. Secondly, When it's a big opponent or a close game Kansas fans are on the ball, understand their value and provide exactly what the team needs. Much like in a football game, basketball fans can provide the right boost and a little extra juice to the home team on a run. They can also bury a team on the ropes.

Am I biased? Absolutely, but I don't think the numbers lie, it's tough to win in "the phog"

via www.best-basketball-tips.com

2. Will Kansas have 3 times as many points as Cal? 4?

I'll say neither and I think Kansas would be hard pressed to double Cal to be honest. We still haven't been tested much and when we have been it's been a bit of a challenge in finding our identity. Kansas is a team still working on chemistry, it's rotation and who exactly they are. Cal looks to have some experienced guards and you guys beat an Iowa State team fairly easily. The Cyclones aren't Kansas, but they were expected to be pretty good and Craig Brackens is a beast. I'll say in the end Kansas wins by somewhere between 10-20. No reason for the prediction just a gut call.

3. What is it like to win a national championship?

It's pretty surreal. Winning a National Title in basketball takes a lot of luck. At Kansas we know all too well that the best team doesn't always win. Being on the winning side of a National title is really a feeling of an entire season and entire careers culminating in the perfect storm. Truthfully when it happened in 2008 I just felt an immense pride and more than anything the team deserved it. That team brought the university together and Kansas basketball from it's fans to it's players share a bond because of the titles it's won.

4. Is Kansas as good as their ranking? What are the odds you guys run the table?

They're pretty good. If Bill Self get's this team playing his type of defense and they can find themselves offensively they'll be tough. They have a solid 13 or so players that could see serious minutes at almost any school in the country. Run the table...I'll say no way. I think KenPom puts the percentage at 2.8% that we will but I just don't see it happening. Any team, any night...that's what makes basketball so great.

5. I don't know much about Kansas's rivals or players you hate on but of them, who do you want to punch in the face the most?

For me it's Missouri, hate them more than our other rival which is Kansas State. The Missouri/Kansas rivalry dates back to some pretty nasty spats during the civil war in fact and there is no love lost between the two schools. As far as a current player on Missouri that I'd punch in the face, I don't think I have one to be honest. They are actually a little likeable lately.

via barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu

6. Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins, Xavier Henry will probably all be in the NBA next year. What's impressed you the most about each player, and who's the most impressive of the three as a college player (ignore the pro prospects)? Any weaknesses in their game that Cal could exploit?

Cole is a true big man which you don't see very often anymore. Most impressive by far is his defensive game, he just controls the middle and is a big reason Kansas opponents shoot so poorly. Weakness, right now is his offense. Cal should drop the double team, he can be slow to react to that at times.

Sherron is plain and simple a winner. Not sure what his NBA career will be but most impressive this year has been his efficiency. With the improvement around him this year, he's been able to be much more selective in terms of his shot and it's made him deadly. Weakness for Sherron, if he feels he has to take over...he can get a little wild. If Cal keeps it close Sherron will try to carry the team at some point and at times that can be bad.

Xavier Henry's most impressive trait is his ability to score. He scores in so many ways, is strong with the ball and is as good a shooter as a true freshman as I've seen at Kansas in a while. Weakness...hmmm...not sure if there's much to exploit here, he's tough and appears to be a pretty complete player.

7. Cal’s weakness is definitely it’s inside game. How does Kansas’ inside game look?

That's not good news for Cal. Cole Aldrich, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris are all very solid inside. Rebounding is a strength, Cole's defense is great and the Morris brothers have come into their own offensively. Past those guys there's a true freshman in Thomas Robinson who looks to have a bright future as well. Biggest challenge has been looking inside offensively. Still, if Cal struggles on the interior Kansas will hurt them down low.

Poll

How you think this one goes?

Big Cal victory

8 votes

Close Cal victory

17 votes

Close Cal loss

37 votes

Big Cal loss

46 votes

108 votes | Poll has closed

Rock Chalk Talk with Kansas Recruit Geneo Grissom

Denverjhawk — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:30:24 -0000

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Since the coaching changes at Kansas began to take shape a few weeks ago one player suddenly drawing a lot of attention was Geneo Grissom.

Grissom is a four star defensive end out of Hutchinson Kansas who committed to Kansas early in the process but has since reopened the door to his recruitment. Part of this was the fact that Geneo flew relatively under the radar prior to the season and has had some pretty appealing opportunities come his way of late. The other part is the obvious and that's the coaching changes at Kansas.

Last night, I had a chance to chat with Geneo for a few minutes and while it's tough to read exactly where Kansas stands, it appears they are still in the discussion although some pretty big name schools are looming large.

I caught Geneo as he was returning from his weekend official at Oklahoma as the Sooners are becoming a real player in terms of his recruitment. In regards to the visit Geneo said, "it went very well. I really enjoyed myself and they really made an impact on the visit." Still Geneo wouldn't go so far as to say OU was the frontrunner or anyone was the leader for his services at this point. "OU, LSU and Kansas are the three schools I'm looking at and I still have a visit to LSU on the 23rd of January scheduled," said Grissom. In terms of a Kansas visit, Grissom initially said he planned on taking one but would backtrack a little later in the conversation stating, "honestly I'm just not sure about the visit, it's more a timing issue than anything."

The Kansas coaching staff did reach out to Geneo last week to let him know they are definitely still interested as Turner Gill spoke with Geneo on the phone and Coach Torbush met with him in person. Geneo wouldn't go into whether he still considered himself committed to Kansas, but he did say that those two conversations were enough for him to continue looking at Kansas in the process adding, "I wouldn't count them out just yet."

I also asked Geneo what would be the most important factor in his decision this time around to which he replied, " I'm trying to make my decision based off of everything but football." To elaborate on that Grissom explained, "education, proximity to home, the college surroundings, the town, the people, the players and the coaches. Once I sign the papers there's no looking back." With those factors in mind Geneo still isn't giving any hints as to where Kansas stands based on what he knows to date. Asked if there was a leader Geneo said, "I'd rather not say."

At this point Grissom appears content to take a step back and reevaluate all his options over the next month. There is a lot to be interpreted from his statements but at the same time I think he's just wanting to keep things low key while he decides what's best for him based on the situation that has transpired at Kansas. In terms of a timeline Grissom expected he'll be prepared for a decision after the LSU visit at the end of January. He did leave a little wiggle room for a change earlier however saying simply, "at least that's what I'm thinking for now."

Here's hoping Coach Gill can somehow convince Geneo that being a Jayhawk with him as the coach is just as good if not a better option to being a Jayhawk with Mark Mangino's staff. This appears to be a tough battle and a potential uphill climb for the new Kansas staff, but he did still commit to Kansas originally and that certainly gives the Jayhawks a chance in this.

Top 10 Kansas Football Performances of 2009: #8

Denverjhawk — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:00:16 -0000

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For the #8 performance of 2009 we head back to the non conference slate and a trip to El Paso Texas to play in the Sun Bowl. Headed into the season UTEP in El Paso appeared to be a fairly decent test for the Kansas Jayhawks as many viewed the Miners as a decent opponent and a potentially tough place to play.

In this one Kansas clicked fairly well on all cylinders. The Jayhawk defense would turn some heads in what proved to be a bit of a misleading performance. The Kansas offense would also put up some impressive numbers with over 575 yards of offense despite struggling at times in the red zone.

At this point in the season the balance of the Kansas offense was also one of the more positive discussions surrounding the 2009 Jayhawks. A running game to go with the passing attack looked very likely, and that's exactly where our #8 performance of 2009 comes from.

Countdown Recap

Jake Sharp came into the UTEP game as the clear cut number one running back after earning the job in the offseason. In the first game of the season Sharp saw plenty of carries against a division 1AA team and put up numbers to match. Against UTEP, a team more well thought of, Sharp would again impress by carrying the load for the running game

Sharp would carry the ball 16 times against the miners for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 6.5 yards per carry average would be the tops for a Kansas running back all season. Sharp would also contribute in the passing game with 6 receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Sharps first touchdown would come on a pretty simple one yard run out of the shotgun. Sharp took the ball and after a nimble spin move found his way acrsoss the goaline.

Sharps second touchdown would come on a reception from Reesing late in the 2nd quarter. Sharp would run the wheel route out of the backfield and make a nice catch over the shoulder just across the goaline.

Jake's final score would come in the middle of the third on a three yard carry putting the Jayhawks up 27-0 at which point Sharp would see minimal action for the remainder. This would be Sharps last full game at full strength with Kansas and his injury certainly factored into the struggles of the Kansas offense for 2009.

Still the performance against UTEP was an impressive one as Sharp looked like a senior back prepared to be a focal point for his team in his final season. Jake Sharp vs. UTEP, #8 on the countdown of top 10 performances for 2009.

Top 10 Kansas Football Performances of 2009: #9

Denverjhawk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:32 -0000

The 9th ranked performance of the 2009 Kansas football season comes during the Border War as a familiar face would once again haunt the Missouri Tigers.

Kansas came into this game riding a 6 game losing streak and in the middle of a MAJOR coaching distraction with the investigation of Mark Mangino ongoing. A week prior against Texas, the offense had shown signs of life, so there was hope coming into the contest that the struggles of the season could be put to bed. Still, not many were prepared for the explosion that Kansas would have in the offensive game.

Against the Tigers, the Kansas offense would ultimately put together nearly 550 yards of total offense. While our #9 performance doesn't necessarily make up a huge percentagee of that production, the player involved made catches when it mattered and helped put points on the board in a season where that sometimes proved challenging.

Countdown Recap

#10 Toben Opurum vs. Southern Miss.

Kerry Meier checked in at #1 in last years countdown and this year he appears at #9 for his first appearance. Against Missouri, Meier was a hated opponent based on his play a year prior. This year he would make some key catches to move the chains and contribute 2 touchdowns to the cause before it was all said and done.

Overall the stat line broke down to 10 catches, 54 yards and 2 touchdowns for Meier. Not an overly impressive line from a yardage standpoint but for a Kansas offense that has struggled in the redzone, Meier made some critical catches and made them look routine.

Meier's first touchdown would come in the 2nd quarter as the Jayhawks faced a 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line. Reesing would throw to the back corner of the endzone and Meier would show the concentration and body control that's made him such a reliable target over the past three seasons.

Meier's second score would come in the 3rd quarter this time on a critical 3rd and goal from the 2. Kansas had failed in running the ball for the score twice and Meier's two yard reception put Kansas ahead 11 points in the middle og the 3rd. Ultimately we all know how this one turned out but for the first time in several weeks the Kansas offense wasn't the culprit and for the most part played the way fans anticipated they would all season.

In the end it wasn't a Meier touchdown that was the difference in this one, but over the past two seasons Meier has been a player during the border war. Whether it's making a catch to move the chains or catching a touchdown, Meier's play matters and his overall effectiveness in the 2009 edition was enough to put him at #9 on the list of top performances for the year.

Top 10 Kansas Football Performances of 2009: #10

Denverjhawk — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:11:44 -0000

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Coaching investigation...check. Coaching search...check. Coaching hire...check. Recruiting...ongoing. The holiday's are upon us and there is some sense of stability in our football program once again. The preference would obviously be to spend these next couple weeks looking at Kansas' bowl matchup and discussing the great performances of the season. With one of those off the table, we can still do the other.

Those of you who were around last year might remember our "Top 10 Performances of 2008" series. While this year as a whole left a bit of a sour taste, we'll be renewing the series for 2009. Amidst all of this we'll still be talking Kansas basketball as we creep closer to real competition. RCT will also continue covering the coaching additions and recruiting activities of Coach Turner Gill. Lastly, who could forget the RCT Readers Choice Award which will also be voted on and awarded following the Top 10 and bowl games of the holiday season. Who knows, there might even be a few new categories to ring in the new year.

All that said today we start off our Top 10 countdown with #10 on the list. Finishing 5-7 clearly the Jayhawks didn't have as many standout performances as they might have last year, but there were still some notable efforts and not too surprisingly some commonalities in opponents in a lot of instances. #10 though goes to a new face on the Jayhawk roster. A new face putting in a big performance against the Jayhawks toughest non-conference opponent Southern Miss.

(Cue your best John Facenda NFL Films Voice while reading)

Toben Opurum signed with the Jayhawks out of high school and immediately the expectation was there to potentially start. RCT talked to Toben on multiple occasions and the ability to play early and often at Kansas was a prime selling point, as was his opportunity to play as a primary runner in the Kansas spread offense.

Southern Mississippi came calling on September 26th for the Jayhawks final game of the non conference schedule. Due to injury, Toben would get the start against the Golden Eagles and he would pack a punch in the Kansas backfield providing that grind it out style we've come to expect from Opurum.

Statline on the day stacks up like this for Toben. 28 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, Toben also was on the recieving end of 2 passes including one touchdown reception from Todd Reesing.

Toben's first touchdown would come in the 2nd quarter on that reception as the Jayhawks faced a third and one from the 12. A wheel route out of the backfield and a well thrown ball by Reesing placed Toben in the endzone where he would come down with the ball after taking a shot just across the goaline.

Toben would find pay dirt for a second time in the game when in the third quarter the Jayhawks faced a 4th and goal from the 2. After a handoff out of the shotgun from Reesing to Opurum, Toben would lower his shoulder and barrel into the endzone over an overmatched pair of Southern Miss defenders.

The game would mark Toben's first time eclipsing the 100 yard mark on the ground. His contributions were key to controlling the ball against a Southern Mississippi offense that was pretty potent at the time. Toben provided Kansas the ability to grind it out and play keep away late and the defense stepped up on three straight occasions to secure the win.

Something tells me this might not be the last top 10 Toben will end up on in his career, but in his first year he checks in at #10 for his efforts against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.

Get to Know the Coaching Staff: Aaron Stamn

Denverjhawk — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:35:28 -0000

While we've had indications that four hires have been made, only three of those are official. We've covered Carl Torbush from the defensive side of the ball. We've covered Chuck Long and the offensive side of the ball. The third phase of the game, special teams of course.

During the 2007 season special teams was a big part of what made Kansas an eventual BCS bowl participant. Since that time it's the phase of the game where Kansas has arguably struggled most. The Kansas kicking and return game have left much to be desired since that Orange Bowl year and it's more notably due to those covering or returning those kicks.

Sure Jacob Branstetter could kick further, but we're always talking about him making tackles and that shouldn't happen regardless of how deep the kick goes.

The return game has gone from explosive with Marcus Herford in '07 to nonexistent. Anything past the 20 was almost a miracle it seemed at times.

The major bright spot was probably Alonso Rojas who returns for one final season, hopefully this year he'll have some support in the special teams play.

So who's taking the reins of this all important position, who is Aaron Stamn? Let's go to the resume and take a look.

Aaron Stamn began his coaching career at St. Cloud State in Minnesota. He served two years there as a graduate assistant. Stamn would work with the defensive line and linebackers while with St. Cloud State and in 2002 the Huskies defense would rank third nationally among division II programs and finish with an overall 9-3 record.

Following his two seasons with the Huskies Stamn would get an opportunity with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and join the program as a defensive assistant. Stamn would work under John Blake with the defensive line during his two seasons and in 2005 the Huskers would lead the nation in sacks recording the 2nd most in school history with 50.

In 2006 Turner Gill would accept the head coaching position at Buffalo and asked Stamn to join him as the special teams coach for the Bulls. In his first season with the Bulls Stamn would guide a special teams unit that would return it's first kick for a touchdown SINCE 1989!! The group would also block 7 kicks the most in a decade for a Buffalo team.

In 2007 the Bulls would again make waves on special teams blocking five kicks. At the same time a freshamn kicker by the name of AJ Principe would be named a freshman all american after recording one of the best seasons in school history. In 2008, Principe would set the school record for points in a season (84). In addition, his 32 career field goals are already second in school history and he holds the school record for career points scored by a kicker (161) and career extra points (80). No it's not the most glamorous of positions to talk statistics about but the improvement from top to bottom on special teams was noticeable with Stamn.

This past season Stamn would move to the offensive line and away from the role he'll take on at Kansas. Obviously Gill has seen something in Stamn considering he is the only Buffalo coach to make the move with him to Kansas. Here's hoping he can guide the Kansas special teams to a dramatic improvement. I've got a hunch we'll be surprised next year at our play in this department. Why, well strictly from a moral standpoint there were plenty of guys on these units that didn't feel like they had much to play for. They were in the doghouse and weren't of the opinion that there was much hope of playing. Throw that carrot out there again, and we're liable to see guys putting everything out there on special teams to prove they deserve a shot.

Does Kansas Know What They're Getting Into?

Beergut — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:28:05 -0000

Turner Gill's hire as Kansas' new head coach has brought the news that Carl Torbush will be returning to the Big 12. Torbush will be leaving Mississippi State, where he is currently defensive coordinator, to become the new defensive coordinator at KU. Aggie fans will remember Torbush as our defensive coordinator from 2003-2005, when he led the dismantling of the Wrecking Crew. We are currently still trying to recover from the damage Torbush helped wreak on our defense in his three years here.

2003 was Torbush's first season as defensive coordinator. In 12 games, we gave up an average of 38.8 points per game, 225.1 yards per game rushing, and 206.4 yards per game passing, as the team sputtered to a 4-8 finish behind a defense that couldn't stop anyone. In 2004, we improved to giving up 24.2 points per game, 142.5 ypg rushing, 244.2 ypg passing. 2004 looked like a sign things were improving on defense, and would get better. In 2005, however, things got worse, as we gave up 31.2 ppg, 139.2 ypg rushing, and 304.6 ypg passing. The 2005 team essentially played prevent on defense all year long, which helped explain their horrific pass defense numbers. What wasn't explained was why the defense was so god-awful in the third year of Torbush's tenure in College Station, at a time when they should have been hitting their stride and becoming a dominant unit, not getting worse. Torbush was fired after the 2005 season, as Dennis Franchione said he had lost faith in what Torbush was doing.

Torbush then took a stint as defensive coordinator at Carson-Newman before becoming the DC at Mississippi State this past season. where his defense gave up an average of 26.8 ppg, 146 ypg rushing, and 220 ypg passing. Those stats don't look too bad until you remember that this is against the offensively-challenged SEC. Eight teams in the SEC averaged less than 220 yards per game passing; this means Torbush's defense gave up, on average, more yards passing than two-thirds of the conference normally produced. In other words, SEC teams tended to have a field day passing against Torbush's defense. Mississippi State finished the season 11th in scoring defense, 8th in rushing defense, 11th in passing defense, and 11th in total defense. Essentially, Torbush struggled to slow down or stop the vast majority of the offenses he faced, and in an offensively-deprived conference like the SEC, where most of the teams live and die by 21 personnel, this isn't a good sign. Now, Kansas is hiring Torbush to lead their defense.

Again, I ask the question: Does Kansas know what they're getting into?

I guess we'll find out on October 23, 2010; that is when Texas A&M heads to Lawrence to play the Jayhawks. A&M finished this season with the best offense in the Big 12, and will return most of their starters next year; that can't be good news for Kansas and Torbush.

Andrew Turzilli Visits with Coach Long

Denverjhawk — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:21:09 -0000

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Wednesday afternoon Andrew Turzilli received a visit from Chuck Long who was there to introduce himself and represent the new Kansas coaching staff to the current three star commit in New Jersey. Turzilli was a relatively under the radar recruit for much of the process,committing to the Jayhawks some time ago while still under the old staff.

Today was a chance for Turzilli to get familiar with the new staff as Coach Long covered quite a bit during his time with Andrew. Asked how the visit went and what they talked about Turzilli said, "It went good we discussed everything from Turner Gill to official visits, signing day, housing and just what to expect with Kansas." Turzilli went on to say that the visit definitely solidified his choice and truthfully he was never wavering to begin with.

In terms of Turzilli as a player, he stands 6'4" and weighs in around 190. Turzilli describes himself as a "deep threat receiver and a red zone target." In fact Turzelli said that Coach Long talked a little bit about the offense and how Andrew would fit in. "He said they're going to run the spread much like Kansas did before but mix in the deep ball more along with play action passes. He thought the changes would benefit me more."

Andrew plans to visit Kansas the weekend of January 15th to take in a basketball game on his official visit. At this point Coach Long said 4 of the 9 staff members were set and Coach Gill is busy out on the recruiting trail for the moment. Once things settle down they'll wrap up the hiring of the remaining positional coaches.

Get to Know the Coaching Staff: Carl Torbush

Denverjhawk — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:23:04 -0000

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During Monday's press conference announcing Turner Gill as the new head man at Kansas he took a moment to announce his two coordinators that were joining him. The first we've looked at in Chuck Long from the offensive side. Now switching over to the defensive side of the ball Carl Torbush previously with the Mississippi State Bulldogs will be joining the staff.

The Kansas defense has been somewhat of a sticky situation for the past two seasons. Since the loss of Aqib Talib and James McClinton the group has never really been able to hit their stride as they did in the early Mangino years. Now clearly we were also in the midst of one of the biggest offensive explosions in Big 12 history with the tsunami brought on by the spread, but the ineptitude and decision making at times proved troubling.

With the slate wiped clean, a new day has arrived for players and fans alike. Carl Torbush has both good and bad that comes with his track record. With defenses slowly adapting to the spread, let's hope Coach Torbush and his Tom Selleck mustache can put the pieces back in place for Kansas to compete once again on defense.

Without further ado, let's get to know Carl Torbush.

Carl Torbush was born in North Carolina but spent his high school day in the backyard of the Tennessee Volunteers, Knoxville Tennessee. After electing to walk on with the Vols following high school, Torbush would eventually transfer to a smaller, but fairly well known football school in Carson Newman. As a senior at Carson Newman, Torbush would be named to the NAIA All America squad in football as well as baseball. Following his college playing days Torbush would spend one season with the Kansas City Royals before deciding the coaching career path was the way to go.

Torbush made his first stop in the college coaching ranks with the Baylor University Bears where he served as a graduate assistant while pursuing his master's degree. After graduating, Torbush would spend a four year stint with Southeast Louisiana where he would serve as both the linebackers and defensive ends coach.

Torbush's next opportunity would come by way of Louisiana Tech where he would take the title of associate head coach and handle the linebackers for 3 seasons.

His first coordinator experience would come during a three year stretch from 1983-1986 with the Ole Miss Rebels. Torbush would handle the Rebels defensive play calling as well as their linebacker coaching duties. During his tenure the Rebels Freddie Joe Nunn was drafted #18 overall in the first round as a linebacker by the St. Louis Cardinals at the time. Ole Miss would also play in a bowl game twice during his tenure with the Rebels.

From Oxford, Torbush would return to Louisiana Tech for his first head coaching positon in 1987. While Torbush only spent one season with LaTech, he did manage to put up a win versus his new employer with a victory over Kansas.

After Louisiana Tech, Mack Brown asked Torbush to join him in Chapel Hill to coach the defense for the Tar Heels. Over the next ten years Torbush would remain the only consistent member of Mack Brown's original staff and the Tar Heels would recruit and field some impressive defensive teams and players.

In that ten year span the Tar Heels would play in 6 bowl games. Torbush would recruit and coach several defensive standouts, notably Dre Bly, Julius Peppers, Greg Ellis, Ryan Sims and Brian Sims. The 1995, 1996 and 1997 North Carolina defensive units led the nation in total defense three years in a row and were considered the best in the country.

The teams success over that ten year span and most notably the final 4 year stretch would lead to a move by Mack Brown to the University of Texas to take over the Longhorns coaching position. North Carolina would without hesitation name Carl Torbush their head coach to replace Brown.

The next four seasons were a bit troubling for the Tar Heels however as both expectations and injuries led to struggles on the field. Despite going to two bowls in his first two years, Torbush would stumble in his final two and finish his head coaching stint with North Carolina in 2000 after posting an overall 20-26 record with the program. Like Long, Torbush appears to be a better coordinator than a head man.

From North Carolina, Torbush didn't fall too far however as he locked on with the Alabama Crimson Tide for two seasons as their defensive coordinator under Dennis Franchione. His 2001 Alabama defensive unit led the Southeastern Conference and ranked third nationally allowing only 257.3 yards per game. However, Alabama became frustrated with Franchione's tendency to flirt with other jobs and the staff would move on after 2002.

Torbush would follow Franchione to Texas A&M where he would again serve as the defensive coordinator. Remember Chuck Long and the 2003 season, his 77 points put up against A&M. That's where the bad news come in, that was Torbush's first year as the defensive coordinator with the Aggies. Obviously the Aggies were in a bit of a rebuilding mode, but not many in College Station were accepting of that performance.

Further bad news comes in 2005 when the Aggies, preseason ranked #17, stumbled to a 5-6 record behind the 107th ranked defense in the nation. This would result in Franchione dismissing Torbush from the staff and probably the low point in his career.

Taking a step away from big time college football Torbush would return to his Alma Mater Carson Newman for the next three seasons as an associate head coach. During his time at Carson Newman, the Eagles posted a record of 25-8, including a 10-1 mark in 2007.

Following the 2008 season however, the SEC came calling again and Torbush moved down to Mississippi State to join Dan Mullen in his first season with the Bulldogs. Mississippi State was definitely a program at the bottom of the barrel on arrival. During the 2009 season the Bulldogs would finish 5-7 overall, 3-5 in the SEC and conclude the season with a win over rival Ole Miss. Torbush and the Bulldog defense was middle of the pack in the NCAA, but again this was a program that was in a bit of a rebuilding effort.

Overall, Torbush's career had some major highs as well as some not so bright spots to go with it. He does bring a tremendous amount of experience and while his time as a head coach in Chapel Hill wasn't the best, I don't think many their would argue with his defensive coaching abilities. Torbush has coached some great defenses and put some great players into the league. If he can do anything remotely close to that at Kansas, not many will find cause to complain.

Get to Know the Coaching Staff: Chuck Long

Denverjhawk — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:43:07 -0000

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The wildly successful get to know a coaching candidate series has a spinoff. At Rivet's suggestion it seems appropriate here at Rock Chalk Talk that we might take a look at the new coaching staff as it comes together. Who they are, where they've been and what they bring to the table are certainly important points as we look to the future of Kansas football. Hopefully this series won't stir quite the controversy as the "Get to Know a Coaching Candidate" series, since we are still battling it out as to who was the more appropriate hire.

That said, before moving on with the new offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks Chuck Long, it also seems appropriate to say thank you to one Ed Warriner. Coach Warriner, I would imagine has seen his Kansas career come to a close, but during his time Warriner was the play caller during Kansas' most prolific stretch of offensive football in it's history. Todd Reesing, Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier and Ed Warriner will forever be tied together and go out as one of the best groups to play/coach in Memorial Stadium.

Those are some big shoes to fill for Chuck Long, does he have what it takes to take the reigns and run with it? Let's look to the resume and find out a little more on Coach Chuck Long.

Chuck Long, like myself, is an Illinois native. Born in Wheaton, Long was a state champion football player who would go fairly under the radar as a quarterback due to a run heavy system. Still, Hayden Fry from the nearby University of Iowa saw enough in Long to offer him a scholarship with the Hawkeyes where Coach Long's journey would begin.

As a redshirt freshman for the Hawkeyes in 1982, Long would begin the year as the opening day starter before permanently taking over as the quarterback in week three. Long threw for 1,374 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman. It was the third most passing yardage in a single season ever at Iowa. His 64.2 completion percentage was a school record. Iowa had a 7–4 record before defeating Tennessee in the 1982 Peach Bowl. Long was the offensive player of the game after completing 19 of 26 passes for a career high 304 yards.

Long would continue to lead the Hawkeyes for three more seasons all the while setting records and winning ball games. By the end of his sophomore year, Chuck Long owned Iowa's school records for yards passing in a season and a career, touchdown passes in a season and a career, and total offense in a season and a career. Sounds to me like we have the Todd Reesing of Iowa football calling our plays.

After finishing on the Heisman ballot as a junior Long returned to Iowa for his senior season where he would take the Hawkeyes to #1 ranking three weeks into the season. The Hawkeyes would eventually lose their top ranking but Long would lead the Hawkeyes to a Big 10 title and finish runner up for the Heisman trophy to Bo Jackson of Auburn.

Long graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions. He held every passing record at the University of Iowa except one when he graduated. Long holds the best completion percentage of any college quarterback all-time who has attempted more than 1,000 career passes. He was also the first Big Ten player and just the second player in college football history to throw for more than 10,000 yards in a career. Between Long and Gill, it would seem the Jayhawks have their bases covered in terms of quarterback development. One more item of note, Long's college coordinator...Bill Snyder of Kansas State.

After a short stint in the NFL, Long would transition back to the college game in a coaching capacity for his Alma Mater in 1995. Long would actually begin his career coaching the defensive backs for three seasons despite having no experience in that area during his career. In 1998 Hayden Fry would move Long to the offensive side of the ball as the quarterbacks coach one season before announcing his retirement. When current Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz took over, Long was retained in the same capacity but chose to leave after just one season.

In 2000, after five seasons at his Alma Mater, Long accepted the quarterbacks coaching position with the Oklahoma Sooners and joined another former Hawkeye Bob Stoops. Also on the staff at the time, Mark Mangino. In his first year Long coached and mentored Josh Heupel to a 2nd place finish in the Heisman trophy race and was a part of an Oklahoma Sooner squad that won a national title.

Following the 2001 season and Mark Mangino's departure for the Kansas coaching job, Long was promoted to offensive coordinator for the Sooners. Oklahoma would win the Rose Bowl in 2002 and in during the 2003 season the Sooners would lead the country scoring 51.5 points per game. Both good and bad news for Kansas fans as it relates to that season, the good news is that Long called an offensive system that hung 77 points on Texas A&M in conference play. The bad news will roll around later.

In 2004, Long was named as a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. In all Long was an assistant coach at Oklahoma for six seasons, including four as an offensive coordinator. During his time Oklahoma compiled a 67–11 record overall.

After the 2005 season, Long landed his first head coaching position when he was hired as the 16th head football coach at San Diego State University. Unfortunately Long was never able to get the Aztecs moving in the right direction and led them to a record of 9–27 in three seasons. Long has spent the last year out of football as he was still under contract with San Diego State prior to his recent move to Kansas.

Long is expected to run a very similar offense to what Kansas fans are already used to. The spread will be in use, but he also anticipates using more two back sets and even some under center. Long will be starting with a bit of a clean slate with the quarterback position and that could play to his advantage in implementing his system. Combine that with the Jayhawks returning the entire offensive line and the pieces might just be in place to surprise next year.