LAWRENCE, Kan. — Charlie Weis stood in the middle of Allen Fieldhouse, waiting on the delirious cheers of “CHAR-LIE! CHAR-LIE!” from the thousands around him to stop.
Leaning on a cane with one hand and holding a microphone with the other, Weis eventually decided he’d better start talking.
“Thank you,” he said, “thank you very much.”
In that moment, Weis could have been Elvis. And, for Kansas football, he certainly is now The King.
Within a minute of beginning his speech at halftime of Saturday’s basketball game against Ohio State, Weis cited his training under legendary football coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.
KU is not used to football royalty, and Weis didn’t have to wear his four Super Bowl rings Saturday to let his new subjects know he was part of the club.
Weis was not intimidated by the stage. He spoke coolly and conversationally, showing the confidence he gained from working for the best. In Weis’ mind, it’s a matter of when, not if, Kansas rises again on the gridiron.
“I’m not going to make a promise of how fast,” Weis finished. “But I’ll make a promise that it’s going to happen.”
For more than a century, Lawrence has been a land strewn with empty promises from football coaches — but none with a resume as glossy as Weis’. Still, how could Weis truly know what he’s getting into?
On Saturday, he got his first taste. Kansas basketball coach Bill Self walked out of the tunnel to his usual thunderous applause (he did stop by to shake Weis’ hand, though). At the first media timeout, there was a celebration for KU booster David Booth, who bought James Naismith’s original rules of basketball last year and brought them back to the fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks beat the second-ranked Buckeyes 78-67, once again proving that hope always lives in the hardwood.
Weis understands KU basketball is the top dog. He’s here because KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger convinced Weis he’s not satisfied with the gross inequality in results between the programs.
Weis and Kansas was an unlikely marriage, and it will be a while before they figure each other out.
For now, what does Weis, whose only other college head coaching job was at Notre Dame (where he was 35-27 in five seasons), know about winning at KU? And what do the Jayhawks know about dealing with a hot-shot football coach?
Both are about to take the plunge and find out.
