The Jayhawker

New Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff is a Jayhawk through and through. Raised in Dodge City, Kan., Goff got his start in college athletics as a KU student in the Williams Education Fund. After realizing he wanted to make a career in athletics, he built on his time with the Williams Education Fund and earned a full-time post at Tulane University in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina ravished the region, Goff and his colleagues were critical assets in rebuilding the athletic department. He used those rebuilding experiences in New Orleans in his next role at Northwestern, where he helped the Wildcats build sparkling new facilities and contend for Big 10 championships. But when Kansas called looking for a new athletic director, that was a call he was not going to miss. KU is home.

Jayhawk head coach Bill Self admits that this year was tough on everyone, especially the players.  Self felt bad for his guys, especially the ones who had never experienced Allen Fieldhouse at its finest. Covid-19 had taken that away. In spite of all of those circumstances, the Jayhawks advanced to their 49th NCAA Tournament and their 31st consecutive appearance in 2021 with a 21-9 record, and was one of only two teams to beat eventual national champion Baylor in 2020-21. As Self puts the 2020-21 season in his rearview mirror, the pride in this year's team in how they persevered through trying circumstances is hard to contain. It truly was a season like no other.

Roy Williams really needs no introduction—he's a college coaching legend. He's a Basketball Hall of Famer. He's won three NCAA titles. And he's been to more Final Fours than every coach in history not named Krzyzewski, Wooden or Smith. And his time at Kansas was equally legendary. Though his Jayhawk teams never won it all, they still won more games than any other program in the 90s. Four Final Fours. Nine Big 12 titles. And the only undefeated Big 12 season in conference history. Roy Williams made his mark in Lawrence. Success aside, not every story has a perfect ending in the moment. But time has a funny way of healing old wounds. And Roy Williams still cares so deeply about his time in Lawrence, his Jayhawk players, and the fans that filled Allen Fieldhouse. So, for the first time, the legendary coach is opening up to Kansas fans about his story, his time leading the Jayhawks, and all the great memories.

It's interesting to look into the mind of an Olympian and see how they think. And when you talk with Jayhawk track legend Andrea Geubelle Norris, it's not always what you expect. Her Jayhawk career vaulted her into the upper echelons of track and field, and after a heartbreaking result at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships, she made the Rio Olympics in the long jump. Her experience in Rio was an eye-opening one, both on and off the track. To outsiders, it's glitz, glamour, and the bright lights. But for Norris, she figured out what really mattered. 

Interim head football coach Emmett Jones has been around some of the top names in college football, with time spent around former Texas Tech and current Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury making him ready for this moment. Jones, who cut his teeth in the Dallas metro area as a successful high school coach, wound up on a path that he did not expect, but when the right opportunity came calling, Jones left Dallas to coach at Texas Tech, where he mentored four wide receivers who landed on NFL rosters, along with NFL star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Jones sees a lot of potential with the Jayhawks, and he has an idea on how to bring that potential to light. Being genuine.