Kansas rewards David Beaty with contract extension, hefty raise

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Two wins earned David Beaty at least two more years at Kansas.

Earned him a hefty raise, too.

The school rewarded the second-year coach for modest but tangible signs of progress Monday with a two-year contract extension that could keep him at the Big 12 school through the 2021 season. The deal also takes his salary to $1.6 million in the first year with an additional $100,000 each succeeding year.

Beaty had been among the worst-paid coaches in power-five conferences, making $800,000 last season.

“This shows our appreciation for Coach Beaty, his staff and our players,” Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger said. “I have enjoyed watching their progress during this season. We want to capitalize on the momentum we all saw as the season came to a close. This reflects our belief in Coach Beaty’s leadership, and the energy and enthusiasm that we see every day from him and his players.”

Beaty’s contract extension includes additional incentive payments for achievements including conference championships, bowl victories and coach-of-the-year honors.

“I am appreciative of Dr. Zenger and our administration’s show of support,” said Beaty, who is expected to speak with reporters Wednesday. “He and his staff have gone above and beyond to give us everything we need to build our program.”

The program was a wreck when Beaty arrived two years ago.

Turner Gill had failed to reach the same heights that Mark Mangino reached before his firing, and all Charlie Weis managed to accomplish over parts of three campaigns was to win six games and leave the program lacking talent when he was let go midway through the 2014 season.

Weis gambled with Division I and junior college transfers that not only didn’t pan out, but also left Beaty and his coaching staff with scholarship numbers well off the national average.

Beaty, who arrived from Texas A&M and has deep ties to Texas high schools, hit the recruiting trail. Selling only his vision and the promise of future success, he has managed to increase the talent level and build enough depth that the Jayhawks were finally competitive in Big 12 play.

The Jayhawks nearly beat TCU, falling 24-23, and went toe-to-toe with Iowa State before a breakthrough win over Texas. It was their first over the Longhorns since 1938 and snapped a 19-game Big 12 skid.

Texas coach Charlie Strong was fired soon after the defeat. Beaty ultimately got an extension soon after the win.

“Our staff and players have worked diligently to lay a strong foundation for the years to come,” Beaty said. “While we have certainly made some progress, we still have work to do to get to where we ultimately want to be and we look forward to continuing to take on that challenge. I am excited about the future of this program and am very honored to be the man leading it.”