Kansas football coach Bud Moore was fired today.
Athletic director Bob Marcum made the announcement, saying Moore would coach the Jayhawks in their season finale against Kansas State on Saturday in Manhattan.
Marcum, although out of town, issued this statement through the sports information office:
“The program has experienced an extensive evaluation since my arrival in August. Based on that evaluation, it has been determined it is in the university’s best interests to make the change.”
MOORE, WHO has two years remaining on his contract, was reportedly given the choice of resigning or being fired and declined to step down.
Thus Marcum also announced discussions of settling the remaining years of the contract would begin soon. Moore’s annual salary is $38,600.
Marcum added a nation-wide search to find a successor will begin immediately. “Our initial concern,” Marcum said, “is the development of an advisory search committee.”
Moore was expected to inform the team of Marcum’s decision prior to this afternoon’s practice session.
During the last month, Moore has been on shaky ground in his fourth year on Mount Oread. His Kansas team upset national power UCLA, 28-24, in the third week of the season, then lost by just one point to Oklahoma three weeks later.
Bust since then Moore’s team, saddled with several injuries, has gone into a decline. In the last two weeks, Kansas was outscored, 111-21, by Nebraska and Missouri.
At this stage, Kansas has a 1-9 record and has lost seven in a row. KU has lost 10 in a row on the road over the last two seasons.
MOORE CAME TO Kansas on Dec. 17, 1974, from Bear Bryant’s staff at Alabama, replacing Don Fambrough. In his first year here, Moore took the Jayhawks to the Sun Bowl and was voted Big Eight coach of the year.
Originally given a four-year contract, Moore earned an extension in that first year. Then athletic director Clyde Walker gave him a five-year pact running through 1980.
At the time Walker said, “Bud Moore has simply done a remarkable job. He has put the Kansas football program on a solid foundation.”
But that foundation, hurt by poor recruiting by Moore and his staff in 1975 and 1976, began to crumble last season when the Jayhawks finished 3-7-1 and, compounded by injuries, it has reached the point of near collapse this year.
Since midway through the 1976 season, Kansas has won six and tied one in 28 outings. Moore has insisted he has a nucleus of youth to build on this year and ostensibly figured he could weather the storm, fielding an improved team in 1979.
OBVIOUSLY THE Kansas hierarchy did not agree, and asked for his resignation on the eve of the game with arch rival Kansas State.
Members of Moore’s staff were to be informed of the situation by athletic director Bob Marcum this evening. They are John Levra, Larry Jones, Him Webster, John Hadl, Ken Martin, Hank Hettwer, Don Blackwelder and Jack White.
There has been speculation all season that Hadl, the former Kansas and Lawrence High grid great, would replace Moore, but it’s believed there is no guarantee of that.
Moore, who turned 39 in October, has a four-year record of 17-26-1 at Kansas.
