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Kansas University men's golf coach Kit Grove, center, watches his team during golf practice Thursday, April 1, 2010 at Alvamar.
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Kansas University men’s golf coach Kit Grove officially was fired as the program’s head coach Thursday, ending the KU graduate’s five-year run as the leader of the program for which he once starred.
Grove’s contract was set to expire at the end of June, and Sheahon Zenger, who now has terminated two coaches since taking over as the school’s athletic director in January of 2011, elected to make the change on Monday. Thursday, senior associate athletic director Debbie Van Saun, who is the sport administrator for men’s golf, met with Grove to make it official. Shortly after that meeting, Van Saun informed the team of the department’s decision.
“We have decided to go in a different direction,” Zenger told the Journal-World Thursday night.
He has not been shy about expressing his expecation that a winning culture return to all of KU’s athletic programs.
“I appreciate Kit,” Zenger said. “He’s an alum, a former student-athlete, and we appreciate all that he’s contributed to the program.”
Grove, originally from Superior, Neb., played at KU from 1995-97 and took over for his former coach, Ross Randall, in 2007. During his first season in charge, he led KU to a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Big 12 Championship but never again finished that high. KU finished seventh in 2009, last in 2010, ninth in 2011 and last again this season, which ended in late April.
Despite being disappointed by that stretch as well as this week’s news, Grove’s love for his alma mater remained strong.
“I represented KU and carried a KU bag in two national championships, and it was a couple of the proudest moments of my life,” he said. “I’m a Jayhawk, I’ll always be a Jayhawk, and I appreciated my time here as a student-athlete and the opportunity to take over for my mentor in coach Randall. Obviously, we both wish it would’ve lasted a lot longer, but the thing about college athletics is you gotta have more W’s than L’s, and we’ve had a couple rough years.”
Zenger, who also fired former KU football coach Turner Gill last November, said the search to replace Grove would begin soon.
“Just like in other searches we’ve conducted, it’s a personnel matter, and it will be conducted in a thorough and quiet manner,” Zenger said.
Pro golfer Gary Woodland practices in Lawrence May 17, 2011
Jayhawks tie for sixth in own tournament September 21, 2010
KU men's golf in seventh place after first day September 20, 2010
KU golf duo wins first match June 9, 2010
KU golf's Barbee earns honor June 2, 2010
Comments
jhawkrulz 1 year ago
I hate to see alumni fired, but this alumna appears to be taking it in stride. Clearly he would admit that the standard of golf he would expect to be higher then it is. Kit we appreciated you while you played at KU and we hope you continue to appreciate the golf game in the future. Thanks for your service and for your professionalism as the decision was made.
I hope you work with Zenger to identify some potential replacements.
I like also that Zenger is making some changes.
april28 1 year ago
+1 It would also be nice if they could find a spot for him in the athletic department.
raprichard 1 year ago
Quality comment all the way around. +1
JayHawkFanToo 1 year ago
I am sure Kit Grove would prefer to be called alumnus...unless you know something we don't...
jhawkrulz 1 year ago
"Man" I wish I had an editor as strong as those on the LJW site. You are correct, I got the singular correct, just didn't get the gender right...good catch.
kuilander 1 year ago
i'm not so sure i want a coach who failed here to help identify his potential replacement. good luck to him all the same and otherwise great post.
KEITHMILES05 1 year ago
Will Bechard be next?
texashawk10 1 year ago
Ritch Price needs to be next, Bechard should be next after that.
kuwins 1 year ago
Oh I hope so!!
KEITHMILES05 1 year ago
Will Bechard be next?
april28 1 year ago
Nice to have a comment from someone who knows more about the sport than a standard fan. If your comments are right - and I have no reason to doubt them - then let's hope Dr. Z understands what he needs to be looking for in a new hire - a heavy-hitting recruiter.
DubStepJayhawk 1 year ago
Totally disagree with a college coach not being able take a Freshman and mold him into an All-Conference player. Look at the WSU Shockers; Coach Jones has been turning out solid golfers for 10 plus years. That's because Coach Jones knows how to get the most out of his players. There is no reason why Wichita State should have a better team than KU or KSU; except for Golf Facilities and Coach. KU has every intangible to offer high school seniors; great campus, great night life; great student-athlete facilities, incredible strength coach, not to mention the beautiful females. The next Coach needs to schedule practices and show up to the course, have weekend practices, reach out to alumni and get the players on the great courses in KC. The coach will also need to have his players respect him and look at him as a coach and not on of the guys.
Deke13 1 year ago
I agree with jhawkrulz. The entire athletic program needs to be reevaluated and if in three or more years you haven't found your way out of the bottom tier of the league it is time for a fresh start under a new administration. Sheahon can't be effective by ignoring the non-revenue sports and only focusing on football and basketball. KU needs to cultivate a culture of winning if 10 people or watching or 100,000 people. Thank you Kit for your efforts and dedication to the University and I wish you the best. Most alumni do want to have pride in every program (athletic and academic) and not just the TV sports.
oxcaljayhawk 1 year ago
Dump all non-revenue sports to the extent allowed by Title IX. Can anyone who hasn't had a friend or family member on the team honestly say:"I care about KU golf, bowling, swimming, etc?"
Bangkok_Jayhawk 1 year ago
Disagree... No disrespect, but it is not always about fans caring.
I get what you are saying, but college sports, once upon a time, were about the athletes. Basketball and football obviously have become more than that. I played a non-revenue sport in college and am thankful the opportunity was there. College athletics are an incredible opportunity for those who are privileged to experience them.
Saguaro_Jayhawk 1 year ago
I follow swimming & diving team from afar and do not have family or friends as coaches or athletes.
april28 1 year ago
To be a top-tier university, you have to act like one. I'd like to see us add sports, not cut them. Stanford is the model. Stanford is the goal. I understand that we have to be realistic, but we need to keep moving forward.
jhawkclassof02 1 year ago
Agreed. However we desperately need for football to return to profitability so that we can help fund these other sports. The Olympic Sports Village is the logical next step. Let's hope the fans come out and support the football team this year (and beyond) so that we can raise the bar for all athletics at KU.
raprichard 1 year ago
I couldn't disagree more. Like april28 says below (above?), Stanford is the model here. Their sports are quality across the board, both revenue and non-revenue. We should strive to have quality athletic teams in all sports. I would love to see us add sports (bring back men's diving/swimming) as opposed to cutting them. Yes, the football program needs to generate more revenue for us, but that revenue can create a synergistic effect for all of the other programs and facilities. I love KU, and although I may not follow the ins and outs of rowing, women's soccer or golf, I love to hear about those KU teams doing well in the Big XII and nationally. We have some great alums that continue to enhance the KU image nationally and internationally.
texashawk10 1 year ago
I absolutely care about all of KU sports and personally I would love to see the Big 12 start sponsoring men's soccer instead of just having club teams. Men's and women's hockey would be nice too and hockey doesn't have to be a Big 12 sport because NCAA hockey sets up their conferences differently.
Code_2008 1 year ago
I actually follow Women's Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, and attend the Swim Team, Track Meets, and Cross Country Meets when they are in town.
And I only know a friend on the Track Team that I met in my Music Classes while I attended KU.
hawkinator 1 year ago
Agreed... a cleansing fire is needed if we are going to get our athletic department looking respectable (asides from hoops, of course).
nuleafjhawk 1 year ago
Is Tiger Woods available ???
Pork_Ribs 1 year ago
I hope not. He'd have them going through a swing change every two years.
april28 1 year ago
Plus the women athletes would never get a minute of peace.
Pork_Ribs 1 year ago
Oh...the althetes would be safe...the ladies at the Pink Flamingo on the other hand...
GoHawks1 1 year ago
One name - ROY EDWARDS. Dr. Z needs to make a call to Boulder and start a dialog with Roy. Roy is an alum and should have gotten the job in '07.
Add Kit to the list of crappy hires by the captain of the Titanic - Lew Perkins.
MoonwalkMafia66 1 year ago
Yup.
KGphoto 1 year ago
Bar-kley!! Bar-kley!! Bar-kley!!
jayhawkinATL 1 year ago
LOL...oh, that beautiful swing!!!
flyingfinn 1 year ago
Hate to see a KU alum fired, but such is the life of a coach in any sport. I find it interesting though that Zenger chose the golf coach as the next one to fire when baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball could use some fresh coaching insight. Some of these spors have had some success in non-conference runs only to stink it up in conference play. Maybe this firing was a shot accross the bow warning to other coaches to improve.
april28 1 year ago
It may have been the timing of the contract. I believe that the Grove's contract was up in June. This may be a model for Zenger's approach: give each coach until the end of his contract to step up or move out.
jayhawkjim80 1 year ago
I also wish Kit well, sorry it didn't work out for him here.
I totally disagree with the comment about dumping all the non-rev sports. Yes they don't carry the clout the big sports do, but as typical with a lot of KU fans, if they aren't having a good season, most tend to not follow. Then when something like this happens, comments like I didn't know we had a golf team, or we should dump these sports are more of the norm. As a decent golfer and a KU alum, I for one am very interested in how this program does. Hopefully it can turn around soon.
What I haven't seen mentioned yet is that this team has been pretty good, not that many years ago. No we haven't won any titles, but we used to consistently finish in the upper half of the league, and usually qualified for regionals and nationals, so there is history in this regard.
The other thing is we have had two players make the PGA Tour in recent years in Matt Gogel and Gary Woodland. Both have won a title. No neither has won a major, but at least you have a chance at that if you are on the tour.
I hope everyoner understands that this program has had its share of good players and good seasons. It has happened before, there is no reason it can't happen again. Yes the sun belt schools will always draw the better players, but unlike the big sports, there can only be a few golfers playing most of the time, so there are going to be good players available. The next coach needs to find those guys and bring them in.
Here's hoping we all see the day where all of our programs have good teams every year, and who knows, maybe we can bring back some of those programs that went away. Rock Chalk!!
sheahoRn 1 year ago
Might have to change my name from sheahoRn to sheapinkslip
OakvilleJHawk 1 year ago
1] I am amazed there are 22 plus comments 2] It's Turner Gill's fault. 3] If a crowd is not cheering, it's not a sport [includes golf, tennis, bowling, Royal's baseball.] 4] Someone needed to tell Kit that those sunglasses are for girls. 5] Please, no outraged comments about my lack of respect for this great game...it's Friday..all's fair!!! 6] Sounds like a good dude...maybe the Alumni Association can find him a job palling around with the rich alums on the courses. 7] First headline story that I can remember about men's golf on this site...ever...and it's bad news. [The ladies were on just a couple of weeks ago - rather watch them, anyway.] 8] Any Tiger jokes are hilarious...what a total tool!! 9] Any posters out there with a hole-in-one [not counting Putt-Putt]? I missed one by 3 inches. CRAP!!!
nuleafjhawk 1 year ago
Dang you Oakville - I was going to say that those sunglasses were the reason he got fired!
And I actually did get a hole in one once. In Houston, at the World Houston Golf Course - near what what then Intercontinental Airport, about 26 years ago.
It was getting quite dark out and my brother in law and I were on the 18th hole or we probably would have just quit. I teed off first and couldn't see a thing. No clue where the stupid ball went. After my brother in law teed off - we started walking towards the green. (It was 320 yards, par 3) I looked around where I thought my ball should have been and couldn't find it, so I just dropped another. Six shots later (whatever) when I putted out - there were TWO balls in the cup! My first and only hole in one hadn't been seen by anyone. I was more ticked than anything. Neither one of us said anything to anyone - figuring they wouldn't believe us anyway.
kureader 1 year ago
Since I have you pegged as an honest man (though sometimes prone to exaggeration), I'm giving you a chance to correct your transposition error ... 320 yard par 3?
nuleafjhawk 1 year ago
Thank you kureader. I do take pride in being honest, and always try to be.
Now - as far as my memory is concerned.........like I said, it was about 26 years ago. Would 320 be a par 4? I know I got a good lick on it, because my brother in law is a pretty stout guy and it always drove him crazy that I could outdrive him by at least 50 yards. (I'm not tiny - 6' 1" / 230) but he's about 275 and very strong.
But it really did happen, whatever the yardage was!!
OakvilleJHawk 1 year ago
I have played par 4's that short, so I believe you. How did you score it since you took a drop?
nuleafjhawk 1 year ago
lol - back then, we usually kept track of how many beers we drank and nothing else.
I didn't score it as a hole in one though - for all I know an armadillo kicked it in from 20 ft out!!
It was probably a 5.
kureader 1 year ago
Nuleaf, I only suggested that you may have transposed a couple numbers. Maybe it was a 230 yard par 3 and not a 320 yard par 3?
I gave you an "out". And YOU fell on the sword. For some reason, you told us you drink too much and you probably had a 5 on the par 4. Keep that stuff to yourself, man!
Rock Chalk!
nuleafjhawk 1 year ago
lol - OK - now I know that you are really my wife.
Take a simple, fun story and twist it all up to where I'm a drunken liar. Just remember - Mother's day is tomorrow!!
All joking aside - It kind of made my day yesterday when you said that you have me pegged as an honest man.
Golf was an addiction for me for about 6 or 7 years - now I'm back to my true passion (besides all things KU!) - FISHING.
You talk about some stories................
mcguirej 1 year ago
No hole-in-one yet, but I got really close on a par 4 two summers ago. My tee shot rolled about six inches past the hole.
carterpatterson 1 year ago
August 2011 - Windermere in Cumming, Georgia, hole #17, 153 yards, 7 iron in a golf tournament. Won a trip to the World Golf Hall of Fame in Jacksonville scheduled for September. Osama bin Fricken Laden cancelled the trip. Just one more reason to hate the bastard.
KGphoto 1 year ago
No hole in one, but I dropped a ball directly into the hole on my second shot once. From about 150 yards I think.
I'm not a great golfer, but I'm good with everything up to the 9, wedge and putter. I can't use any of those to save my life but I can usually get to the green straight and quick.
I don't even remember what iron I used because it was about 17 years ago and we were pretty drunk the day before my buddy's wedding, but I'm partial to the 7 so it might have been. I had to go over a wall of 40-50 foot trees to do it and my other buddy (drunk) was already standing on the green. He was kinda playing his own game you know. I never even saw it but it felt really good off the club and I knew it was right on, and was gonna land softly. Then I heard him start laughing hysterically and screaming that it never even bounced, just landed in the hole.
Best shot of my life.
KGphoto 1 year ago
Oh yeah. It was at Olathe Lake. Classy course, I know.
Pork_Ribs 1 year ago
8 @ The Bend two years ago. 167 into at least a 20 mph wind. Ballooned a 6 that missed the green left but kicked in sideways.
ahpersecoachingexperience 1 year ago
Naga... Naga... Naga... Not gonna work here anymore, anyway.
lawyahawk 1 year ago
You lucky guys talking about holes in one are all full of hot air! This is coming from the self-proclaimed worst golfer in four states. (You can pick which four.) I only describe myself as a golfer because I happen to own gold clubs. I grew up playing sand green courses in Central Kansas. The only way you could prove you shot a hole-in-one in those parts was by showing your buddy the trail your golf ball left in the sand on the way to the hole. The golf course was in such poor shape from ground squirrels that I used part of my bag as a scabbard for a .22 rifle. I've never see in the Rules of Golf where that is an illegal club; of course, I don't actually own a rulebook. My only hope for a good shot on the course was to plug a furry critter on a par three.
My daughter just provided me the epitome of futility: a one-hour golf lesson with a pro at St. Andrews (No, the one in Overland Park). I predict he offers me double my money back after 30 minutes so he doesn't have to be seen with me. My other daughter gave me a birthday present of two free rounds at Deer Creek. I don't think I have a friend brave enough to accompany me. I have a pretty good chance of hitting my golfing partner with either my first or mulligan drive, even if he is hiding behind me in an armoured cart.
So brag all you want, you Palmer wannabees. I'm headed to the driving range to marvel at how innovative and diverse my shots can be. Take cover.
OakvilleJHawk 1 year ago
Worst shot of my life?
Since I define swinging with all your might and missing a "miss", My definition of a shot is actually touching the ball.
Teeing off with my best ball team [my three brother-in-laws] at my company's annual golf tourney, me and my Big Bertha were going to show everyone who was the boss.
Just as I came out of my backswing, a fly flew up my nose ...I jerked my head back, lifting the club head such that I ticked the ball just enough to roll it 3 inches off the tee.
I think all three of my brother-in-laws peed in their pants because they laughed so hard. Properly humiliated, I used a 2 iron the rest of the day off the tee and hit every fairway but the damage to my ego was already done!! :)
Johndoe64 1 year ago
Not that it matters but this program won the BIG 12 in 1999, the only northern school to win it so far i am fairly sure. Under coach Randall they went to the NCAA REGIONAL 16 out of 17 years advancing to the FINALS in 5 or 6 of those years if memory serves correctly. Recruiting is not 100% of the success because it takes a good teacher to develop depth. It also takes a good game day coach to get players to grind out and finish rounds without throwing in the towel on a rough day. It is a good program, but LEW ruined it by cutting the roster size from 15 to 10 thus eliminating the bonus pool (5yr non- scholarship) of players Hopefully, it will be a competitive program again
jayhawk909603 1 year ago
Can't the firer just say "he didn't win enough" instead of "we're going in a different direction?" Where was the requisite "we're going to change the culture" quote?
jayhawk909603 1 year ago
Lew screwed a program?!? And just about everyone at KU.
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