Kansas fires Charlie Weis

Sep 28, 2014 - 2:47 PM Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - Kansas has fired head football coach Charlie Weis.

Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger made the announcement Sunday, one day after the Jayhawks dropped a 23-0 decision to Texas and fell to 2-2 for the season.

Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, a Kansas alum, was named interim head coach.

"I normally do not favor changing coaches mid-season," said Zenger in a statement Sunday. "But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin making progress right away."

Weis was in his third season with the Jayhawks and had two years remaining on his contract. Kansas was 1-11 in Weis' first season, including 0-9 in the Big 12, and 3-9 overall last year with a 1-8 conference mark.

This season's squad has victories over Southeast Missouri State and Central Michigan, but has been outscored 64-3 in its losses to Duke and Texas.

"I appreciate what Coach Weis did with several facets of our football program," Zenger continued. "But we have not made the on-the-field progress we believe we should. I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the best chance to make a fresh start."

Weis took over in December 2011 after Turner Gill was 5-19 in his two seasons. Kansas has not had a winning season since an 8-5 mark with an Insight Bowl victory in 2008 under Mark Mangino, who took the Jayhawks to the Orange Bowl the previous year.

"KU alumni, students, fans and supporters expect that Kansas football will match the other areas in which we excel as a university," said KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. "After consulting with Dr. Zenger, I am in agreement that it is time for new leadership of our football program."

Bowen played defensive back for the Jayhawks from 1990-93 and spent 16 seasons as an assistant at KU. He began coaching as a graduate assistant in 1996, then worked in a number of different roles on the coaching staff from 1998-2009.

After a year at Western Kentucky in 2010 and North Texas in 2011, both as defensive coordinator, Bowen returned to Kansas under Weis for the 2012 season.

Weis is best-known for his five seasons as head coach at Notre Dame. He was 35-27 with the Fighting Irish, but just 16-21 in his final three years and was fired after a 6-6 campaign in 2009.