Kansas extends Jayhawks head football coach Lance Leipold’s contract by one year

Kansas athletics has locked second-year football coach Lance Leipold into an additional year on his contract, KU athletic director Travis Goff announced on Thursday afternoon.

Leipold, who went 2-10 in his first season at KU, originally signed a six-year deal when hired in April of 2021.

“This is a statement about our exceptional confidence in Lance, his outstanding staff and the unlimited potential of Kansas Football,” Goff said in announcing the extension to bring Leipold back to his original six years on his deal.

“When you consider he and his staff did not arrive until May (2021), and therefore did not have a chance to coach our guys until August last year, the 2021 season could be considered ‘year zero’. Given the progress that’s been made both on and off the field in such short order, I could not feel more strongly about the trajectory of this program under Lance’s leadership, as well as our shared commitment to elevate Kansas Football to unprecedented heights,” added Goff.

Leipold will make $3.5 million in the final year of his deal in 2027 according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.com. Terms of his previous deal as reported by The Star had Leipold making $2.2 million in 2021, $2.4 million in 2022, $2.6 million in 2023, $2.9 million in 2024, $3.1 million in 2025 and $3.3 million in 2026.

KU appeared to get positive return from Leipold and his staff in his first season at KU. The team went 2-10, beating Texas, 57-56, in Austin and putting a major scare into Oklahoma before falling, 35-23, at Booth Memorial Stadium. This extension brings him back to a six-year deal. Remember last year was played without the benefit of Leipold coaching the team in the spring.

Leipold has spoken about his positive feelings toward KU. Earlier this week KU announced the formation of the Lance and Kelly Leipold Graduate Assistant Fund. According to a KU release, it is an endowed fund that (with funds donated by the Leipolds) will provide “perpetual support for an on-field graduate assistant position with the football program.”

Leipold on Monday said: “My wife Kelly and I, as we thought, first of all, of ways to show our gratitude to our university and then to the athletic department and our program. ... It shows, I think, our commitment, our appreciation, the need to show that we’re going to need a lot from everybody (to build a winning program at KU), and you’ve got to do it yourself sometimes. But we’ve tried to do certain things at each stop (KU, Buffalo, Wisconsin-Whitewater) because we think it’s important.”

KU will open the 2022 season against Tennessee Tech. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., Friday, at Booth Memorial Stadium.