Turner Gill Era Begins at KU

December 12, 2009

Gill answers questions from reporters.

By Eyewitness Sports (LAWRENCE, Kan.)

Turner Gill is KU's new football coach. Athletics Director Lew Perkins introduced Gill at a news conference Monday morning.

"I did not come here to use it as a stepping stone to a football dynasty, but rather to create a football dynasty here at KU."

Perkins says Gill will make approximately $2 million a year for the next five years. The contract, however, has yet to be finalized. The new coach will meet with players Monday night.

Gill says his priorities are simple. "Recruit, beat Missouri, recruit, win the North, recruit, win the Big 12 — as we all know in most cases, you win the Big 12, you're playing for a national championship, and then we're gonna recruit."

Gill led the University of Buffalo Bulls to the Mid-American Conference title last season. The team finished 5-7 this year with a new quarterback

As the starting quarterback at Nebraska from 1981-83, Gill led the Cornhuskers to a 28-2 record and a 20-0 mark in Big Eight Conference play, three straight Big Eight Conference championships and three consecutive Orange Bowls.

Gill was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1983 when teammate Mike Rozier claimed the honor. He was a three-time All-Big Eight selection and was named the quarterback of the Big Eight Conference All-Decade Team (1980-89). He has been inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame and the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame. He also spent three seasons in the minor league systems of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.

Mark Mangino resigned as the Jayhawk's coach after eight seasons. Despite three bowl games and a national coach of the year award in 2007, Mangino's profile took a hit this season.

The Jayhawks lost their final seven games and the school launched an investigation into whether Mangino verbally and physically intimidated players during his time at the school.

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