Kansas hires Jeff Long as new athletic director



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The University of Kansas hired former Arkansas athletic director, Jeff Long, as the new AD of the school on Thursday.

Long has signed a five-year contract worth $ 1.5 million annually with Kansas Athletics He has written clauses in his contract to protect him if Kansas receives any restrictions or probation for violations committed by football, men's or women's basketball or women's sports teams before the start of their contract. If the school received such discipline, Long's contract would be extended to match the duration of any penalty.

Long, who had also served as chairman of the college football playoff selection committee, will be formally introduced to a new one. Her hiring was hailed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who sat with Long at the CFP selection committee; High Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who called Long an "excellent addition" to the conference, and Texas Tech Sports Director Kirby Hocutt, among others

Long, 58, replaces Sheahon Zenger, fired in May after joining AD school in 2011. The school cited a lack of progress in the key areas for his dismissal.

The men's basketball program, under the auspices of Bill Hall, was successful but Zenger did little in the most important areas. This includes much needed renovations to the Memorial Stadium, the aging horror on the northern edge of the campus, and an even more crucial restoration of its accompanying football program, which has won three games in the last three years .

Jayhawks Harbor & # 39; T had a winning season in a decade, and the two coaches hired by Zenger – Charlie Weis and current coach David Beatty – are a combined 8-55 since 2012.

Long was the AD to Arkansas from 2008 to last year when the school returned after the Razorbacks football program began to struggle. The Chancellor of the School said that Long had "lost the support of many of our fans, alumni, main supporters and members of the university leadership."

During his Razorbacks career, the school won 34 conference championships. and made his first appearance in BCS bowl. He led a $ 160 million renovation at the Razorbacks football stadium, a task similar to that he will undertake in Kansas

Zenger had announced plans for a $ 350 renovation at Memorial Stadium, but the support was lukewarm.

He was the inaugural chairman of the PSC Selection Committee in 2014 and 15 and stayed on the committee by last year.

He was also an AD at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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