- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,130,514
- Reaction score
- 59
LAWRENCE — The success Kansas baseball has enjoyed this season has continued to build.
The Jayhawks won the Big 12 Conference regular-season title. Then, they won the Big 12 tournament title. Then, while the No. 15 national seed might have seemed low to some, they were chosen to be a host for an NCAA regional as the NCAA tournament gets going.
But with that success comes national attention on head coach Dan Fitzgerald and what he’s been able to accomplish in recent years with his staff in Lawrence. A rebuild that had to overcome various challenges has seen KU become one of the best teams in the nation. And as Kansas publicly pushes for more support for its baseball program, with more attention on KU this weekend as the NCAA regional begins Friday, it leads one to wonder whether Fitzgerald and Kansas will do anything further to solidify his place in Lawrence, contract-wise.
RELATED: Kansas baseball enhances NCAA regional experience at Hoglund Ballpark
“If you guys remember, I signed a six-year extension last year,” Fitzgerald said recently. “… I’ll be honest, guys, when I say I spend 100% of my time on the day in front of me, I really mean that. But I think I also triggered an additional year. So, yeah, I’m not engaged in anything except Travis and I talk literally daily, text each other about 10 times a day. So, we’re as engaged as an AD and head baseball coach can be, and couldn’t — there is no possible way that I could be more excited about the future of Kansas baseball. And when someone told me that I triggered an additional year, I mean, it was total joy. We love every second of being here and, so thankful for the extension last year. And yeah, I wake up daily incredibly grateful for literally everything in my life, including the extension last year knowing where we’d be.”
Travis Goff, KU’s director of athletics and vice chancellor, pointed to two main reasons when asked about his confidence in retaining Fitzgerald. First, there’s the trust that’s been built up between himself and Fitzgerald over the years. Second, Goff doesn’t consider the contract extension something that checked a box and rather something that made a statement about how much Kansas is invested in Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald’s staff for the long haul.
That’s not to say Goff won’t remain proactive. But Goff also made a point of noting that he’s not going to act because of any national narratives, and instead will act on what’s been earned. He doesn’t think Fitzgerald holds back at all in their conversations about the long-term outlook of the baseball program.
Goff was excited about the response to KU’s promotional efforts, baseball-wise, and said that has included multiple gifts of at least $100,000. He noted they would announce some of them and use them as catalysts to continue driving more support. Fans can check out Kansas Athletics’ social media account on X to see how that’s unfolded in recent days.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Dan Fitzgerald emphasizes support for future of Kansas baseball
Continue reading...
The Jayhawks won the Big 12 Conference regular-season title. Then, they won the Big 12 tournament title. Then, while the No. 15 national seed might have seemed low to some, they were chosen to be a host for an NCAA regional as the NCAA tournament gets going.
But with that success comes national attention on head coach Dan Fitzgerald and what he’s been able to accomplish in recent years with his staff in Lawrence. A rebuild that had to overcome various challenges has seen KU become one of the best teams in the nation. And as Kansas publicly pushes for more support for its baseball program, with more attention on KU this weekend as the NCAA regional begins Friday, it leads one to wonder whether Fitzgerald and Kansas will do anything further to solidify his place in Lawrence, contract-wise.
RELATED: Kansas baseball enhances NCAA regional experience at Hoglund Ballpark
“If you guys remember, I signed a six-year extension last year,” Fitzgerald said recently. “… I’ll be honest, guys, when I say I spend 100% of my time on the day in front of me, I really mean that. But I think I also triggered an additional year. So, yeah, I’m not engaged in anything except Travis and I talk literally daily, text each other about 10 times a day. So, we’re as engaged as an AD and head baseball coach can be, and couldn’t — there is no possible way that I could be more excited about the future of Kansas baseball. And when someone told me that I triggered an additional year, I mean, it was total joy. We love every second of being here and, so thankful for the extension last year. And yeah, I wake up daily incredibly grateful for literally everything in my life, including the extension last year knowing where we’d be.”
Travis Goff, KU’s director of athletics and vice chancellor, pointed to two main reasons when asked about his confidence in retaining Fitzgerald. First, there’s the trust that’s been built up between himself and Fitzgerald over the years. Second, Goff doesn’t consider the contract extension something that checked a box and rather something that made a statement about how much Kansas is invested in Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald’s staff for the long haul.
That’s not to say Goff won’t remain proactive. But Goff also made a point of noting that he’s not going to act because of any national narratives, and instead will act on what’s been earned. He doesn’t think Fitzgerald holds back at all in their conversations about the long-term outlook of the baseball program.
Goff was excited about the response to KU’s promotional efforts, baseball-wise, and said that has included multiple gifts of at least $100,000. He noted they would announce some of them and use them as catalysts to continue driving more support. Fans can check out Kansas Athletics’ social media account on X to see how that’s unfolded in recent days.
You must be registered for see images
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Dan Fitzgerald emphasizes support for future of Kansas baseball
Continue reading...
