David Beaty met with the media prior to this evening's Football In February event, held in the Members Club at Sporting Park. The first-year head coach was clearly excited to meet the large crowd of Jayhawk fans that braved the snow and cold conditions to hear from he and his staff. I asked Beaty several questions about the current state of the program, and his efforts to engage with fans and high school football coaches across the state.
What have these events been like? What has the response been?
Coach Beaty: It's been really cool getting to know them up close and personal. More than just seeing them in the stands, and at some of those other events where we can't get as personal with them.
Are there more of these types of things in the works?
Coach Beaty: That's really been part of the process. There are so many Jayhawks out there. Being able to get out there into that family and get to know them, I think it will be something we need to do year round, to be able to try and touch everybody we want to be in touch with and make them understand how much we need their support.
Have you been at all surprised by the response?
Coach Beaty: Well, honestly, I haven't. I've been here on two separate stints. That's just what Jayhawks are. They support. They love their program. They are always excited when there is something new. There's a new opportunity out there. The one thing I love about these folks and this fanbase is they love their Jayhawks, and they are going to support their teams. They are excited about the future.
Given this fanbase is long suffering, is it more important to try and connect with them?
Coach Beaty: I think sharing the vision with them is very important, and understanding also that we are here to earn their support. The thing we are standing on right now is what's going to make us different. That's been a challenging question. The answer is very simple, we have to prove it to them. Once we lay the vision out, and talk to them about the blueprint, and how we plan on doing it, it's a big deal to ask them to partner with us, to make it their program and something they can be proud of, and ask for their support in return.
Were you surprised by the lack of depth on the current roster?
Coach Beaty: It wasn't surprising after the first couple days of getting the job, because you look at your roster and see what you've got. Obviously, we spent a lot of time in the film room, evaluating our players and what we've got currently. It's something we're faced with, and we can look at it two different ways. We can gripe and moan or complain about it, or, we can fix it, and we can do what we have to do to provide other people the opportunity to help step on the field and help us win. We've been around a lot of different programs and seen a lot of different challenges. That's the great thing about the diverse staff we've brought it. We're going to work together to get this thing solved as quickly as we can.
What has the response been to you and your staff from the high school coaching community?
Coach Beaty: They've been great, they really have. We've donned the doors of a lot of high schools in that winter conditioning period, and we are going to don every single one of them in the spring condition period. I think that's the big deal for us, getting those guys to become familiar with us and getting to know us. Because until there is a relationship there, it's hard for people to understand who you really are and what you are trying to move forward toward.
Last night (speaking to the Kansas City High School Football Coaches Association) was a great event, and we really enjoyed our time over there. Our guys were able to go over there and share some football with those guys, and we took some from them, too. That was what was great. We shared ideas together. We've got some great high school coaches in this area. They are guys that are committed to winning football games and producing productive citizens. That's what's really impressive. They are great men who are interested in more than just winning. They know winning is a byproduct of producing productive citizens. It was fun being around those guys last night, but it's been great throughout the winter getting to know them.
What have these events been like? What has the response been?
Coach Beaty: It's been really cool getting to know them up close and personal. More than just seeing them in the stands, and at some of those other events where we can't get as personal with them.
Are there more of these types of things in the works?
Coach Beaty: That's really been part of the process. There are so many Jayhawks out there. Being able to get out there into that family and get to know them, I think it will be something we need to do year round, to be able to try and touch everybody we want to be in touch with and make them understand how much we need their support.
Have you been at all surprised by the response?
Coach Beaty: Well, honestly, I haven't. I've been here on two separate stints. That's just what Jayhawks are. They support. They love their program. They are always excited when there is something new. There's a new opportunity out there. The one thing I love about these folks and this fanbase is they love their Jayhawks, and they are going to support their teams. They are excited about the future.
Given this fanbase is long suffering, is it more important to try and connect with them?
Coach Beaty: I think sharing the vision with them is very important, and understanding also that we are here to earn their support. The thing we are standing on right now is what's going to make us different. That's been a challenging question. The answer is very simple, we have to prove it to them. Once we lay the vision out, and talk to them about the blueprint, and how we plan on doing it, it's a big deal to ask them to partner with us, to make it their program and something they can be proud of, and ask for their support in return.
Were you surprised by the lack of depth on the current roster?
Coach Beaty: It wasn't surprising after the first couple days of getting the job, because you look at your roster and see what you've got. Obviously, we spent a lot of time in the film room, evaluating our players and what we've got currently. It's something we're faced with, and we can look at it two different ways. We can gripe and moan or complain about it, or, we can fix it, and we can do what we have to do to provide other people the opportunity to help step on the field and help us win. We've been around a lot of different programs and seen a lot of different challenges. That's the great thing about the diverse staff we've brought it. We're going to work together to get this thing solved as quickly as we can.
What has the response been to you and your staff from the high school coaching community?
Coach Beaty: They've been great, they really have. We've donned the doors of a lot of high schools in that winter conditioning period, and we are going to don every single one of them in the spring condition period. I think that's the big deal for us, getting those guys to become familiar with us and getting to know us. Because until there is a relationship there, it's hard for people to understand who you really are and what you are trying to move forward toward.
Last night (speaking to the Kansas City High School Football Coaches Association) was a great event, and we really enjoyed our time over there. Our guys were able to go over there and share some football with those guys, and we took some from them, too. That was what was great. We shared ideas together. We've got some great high school coaches in this area. They are guys that are committed to winning football games and producing productive citizens. That's what's really impressive. They are great men who are interested in more than just winning. They know winning is a byproduct of producing productive citizens. It was fun being around those guys last night, but it's been great throughout the winter getting to know them.
