Kansas ready to introduce Gill today

LAWRENCE, Kan. – On Sunday afternoon, Massachusetts Street was as charming as ever. Families were out Christmas shopping, NFL fans packed sports bars, and there was little parking to be had on Lawrence’s signature drag.

To Lawrencians, days like Sunday are what make their town special. So it was odd during the last eight years that they rarely saw the head football coach of the Kansas Jayhawks out enjoying what they had to offer.

“We like it when a coach becomes a part of the community,” said Rick Renfro, the longtime owner of Johnny’s Tavern.

Renfro said he remembers seeing former KU football coach Mark Mangino somewhere other than the Memorial Stadium sideline maybe a half-dozen times in eight years.

“I think it’s just Mark was so consumed with his job,” Renfro said. “I love for people to be focused on their work, but there’s a hell of a lot more to life than just work.”

Today, Lawrence will be introduced to its new coach, Turner Gill. Town residents hope that they get to know more about Gill over time than his run-pass tendencies on third down or his preference for blitzing on defense.

Some fans have been able to look past the big names KU athletic director Lew Perkins could have brought to Lawrence and look objectively at what Gill accomplished as an assistant coach at Nebraska and a head coach at Buffalo, leading a down program to the 2008 Mid-American Conference championship.

“He’s basically like a Mangino,” said Adam Goad, a KU freshman from Milwaukee. “What Mangino did for us, he did for Buffalo.”

But Gill did much more for Buffalo than could be seen on the field, according to Gill’s administrative assistant, Julie O’Neill, and Buffalo spokesman Paul Vecchio.

“Very much so,” Vecchio said, “as much as a head football coach at this level can do.”