
Former Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins gave a ringing endorsement Thursday to new athletic director Jeff Long.
“I just heard about it,” Perkins said by phone from his Lawrence home. “Phew, wow! Just one man’s opinion, but I think that’s a home-run hire. He’s a classy guy. He is a class, class, class guy.”
Perkins cited Long’s role as former head of the College Football Playoff Committee as evidence of the respect he has within college athletics.
“You don’t get on that unless you’re really good,” Perkins said. “You’re dealing with some big-time football people on that. I really think this was a good hire for Kansas, and they were lucky that he was available.”
Perkins predicted that the boosters and coaches “will like working with him. Great guy.”
Long, 58, has served as athletic director at Pittsburgh and Arkansas, and was fired at his last stop after he and his football hire, Bret Bielema, fell out of favor with Razorbacks boosters.
“He’s been around and he’s everything you want,” Perkins said. “I’ve known him for years and he’s had many good discussions about athletics. He will work hard to make this thing work. He’s going to work hard to finish his career.”
Comments
John Fitzgerald
Anything Lew Perkins says goes in one ear and comes out my rear end. Having said that I look forward to seeing how Long approaches the football program. Does he let Beaty smooze him into keeping his job or does Long bring down the axe? I’m guessing Beaty will keep his job but be on a very short leash.
4 years ago
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Whitney Tangeman
Ughh!! No kidding on Perkins, this guy is so bad he helped crash 2 university football programs (KU, WSU), not to mention was basically asked to retire due to his role in the ticket scandal. Why LJW would want his two cents here confuses me.
4 years ago
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Roger Gilbertson
Same guy who predicted greatness from Turner Gill.
4 years ago
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['']
Hahahaha So true. Turner and his bible-thumpin' staff were more concerned with turning the players into Jesus-lovers than Fball players. Too bad Jesus couldn't strap it up on Saturdays Turner...
4 years ago
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Robert Brock
So, will Long be patient or will he fire Beaty before Big 12 conference play?
4 years ago
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Dale Rogers
I think he sets some goals for Beaty and if he meets them he gets to stay beyond one more year. Fail and he's gone. In any case, I think he'll get this year for sure. He'll use this year to assess options and be ready to make the decision by end of the season.
4 years ago
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Bryce Landon
What does it matter if Long fires Beaty? He'll hire somebody else who will suck just like Beaty, Weis and Gill. Look at Long's track record at Arkansas - he put Bobby Petrino in charge of Arkansas despite his character issues. When he was forced to fire him (and no credit for Long for firing Petrino), he brought in John L. Smith, who took a championship-caliber Arkansas team and tanked with a 4-8 record. Then he brought in Bret Bielema, who underachieved at UA before getting fired for posting a losing record too. So it doesn't matter who Long hires to replace Beaty. Long is only slightly less bad at hiring football coaches than Zenger.
It's crap like this that has driven me to find another football team to root for - the Iowa Hawkeyes - and with Long in charge of trying to turn football around, it looks like I'll be wearing black and gold during football season for the next 20 years.
4 years ago
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['']
Bielema is a Hawkeye there Brycey.....
4 years ago
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Jason Venable
JFC Bryce. We know your hatred for KU football and your love for Iowa football. In fact, you seem to be head over heels for the Hawkeyes. Great, just stop reminding all of us about it. It's waaayyy past old.
4 years ago
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Brad Farha
I hope Long is a great AD, but an endorsement by Lew carries no.weight around here.
4 years ago
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Bryce Landon
If anything, an endorsement from Sweet Lew is a kiss of death.
I just hope Bill Self doesn't leave Kansas while Jeff Long is AD.
4 years ago
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Gavin Fritton
So we got this going for us. Which is nice.
4 years ago
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Doug Cramer
Could give two $hits about what Perkins thinks.
This is all his fault in the first place.
Can’t believe this is even a story.
It would be hilarious if Long brings Mangino back. Wonder if Lew would still have that same opinion?
4 years ago
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John Fitzgerald
I had a podcast with Mangino. Some good stuff.
https://hawkjock.com/podcasts/
4 years ago
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Danny Hernandez
I'm excited
4 years ago
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Chris Condren
Despicable Lou Perkins chimes in his worthless opinion. He should keep his pie hole shut as to anything to do with KU.
4 years ago
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Brad Avery
How reassuring to have the endorsement of the man who started the slide of the KU football program. Much like Trump endorsing the environmental and civil rights records of the next president. I trust new AD Long can overcome this rough pr beginning.
4 years ago
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David Kemp
Agree, can’t believe we can give this guy any time given that we are here because of his doing.
4 years ago
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Steve Hillyer
I'm not sure what puzzles me more, the fact that Lew Perkins is still in Lawrence or that someone actually gives a damn what Lew Perkins thinks about a hire, this is a guy that hired Turner Gill, in fact hired him over Jim Harbaugh!
4 years ago
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Eric Eakins
I'm not sure what bothers me more. That Tom went to Lew for his thoughts or that Lew thinks Long is a great pick. Maybe Tom thought it would give us a good laugh, kind of like asking a lawyer what he got out of his ethics class.
4 years ago
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Bville Hawk
Wait a minute, lawyers have a class on ethics?
4 years ago
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Dave Miller
Probably a "no content" class that they get "extra" credit for attending... kind of like UNC student athletes' classes a few years ago... lol
4 years ago
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Jeffery Stadler
Keegan is a pot stirrer. He calls one of the worst ADs in history for comment just to piss everybody off and get the reaction that it is getting from this comment section. Lew Perkins was and always will be "Hognose" which is what my dad called him every Saturday he walked down the hill. He sucked so bad he would have somebody drive his car away from the stadium when he arrived.
3 years, 12 months ago
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Thomas Green
Beaty is only going to be around long enough to facilitate his replacing. Not exactly sure how long that will be, but he should probably begin cleaning out his office in preparation!
3 years, 12 months ago
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