Branson, who leaped a KU school-record 13 feet, 10 inches in stealing the show at the 2000 Kansas Relays and competed at the recent Olympic Trials, is planning to transfer for her senior season.

It’s not final yet, but it’s all a formality considering the 5-foot-9 phenom says she is waiting on transfer papers, and on Monday was moving out of town.

“I love it here. It’s sad I have to go,” Branson said Monday.

Why leave?

“(It’s) because my coach isn’t coming back. He’s the only reason I have accomplished so much,” Branson said, referring to former KU vault coach Rick Attig, who is not a part of KU coach Stanley Redwine’s new Jayhawk staff.

If Attig lands an assistant coaching job at Utah State, Branson will follow.

“Without Rick Attig … it’s a major loss. He’s someone I believe in 100 percent,” Branson said. “It’s (talk of leaving) because my coach is now an ex-Jayhawk.”

Attig is known as one of the top pole vault coaches in the country. He recruited Branson to Kansas out of Shawnee Mission East.

“In my eyes, he’s the man, the myth, the legend,” Branson said. “I hope they (Jayhawks) do well. My teammates a great group of kids will still be out there next year.”

Branson placed fifth in the country at the 2000 NCAA Indoor and ninth at NCAA Outdoor. However, she was fifth overall U.S. finisher at Outdoor, meaning she again was accorded All-America status.

“At NCAAs, I didn’t do as well as I would have liked. I was kind of preoccupied with the whole coaching situation,” Branson said of uncertainty following KU’s decision to not renew coach Gary Schwartz’s contract.

“It was not a stellar performance. I guess my highlight (at KU) would be the Relays. The Relays returned this past spring and winning before a crowd like that (11,000) was something I’ll probably never forget.”

The pole vault pit was in the center of Memorial Stadium. Branson responded to cheers from the crowd after each jump.

“I think it’s the most fun I’ve had. It was a major P.R. that and being able to run over and thank my coach,” she said of Attig.

Branson has a goal of returning to the Olympic Trials four years from now and making the U.S. team. She did not reach the finals at the recent trials in Sacramento, Calif.

“I didn’t make the finals this time, but 21 others didn’t either,” Branson said. “It was a fun experience. I was a little nervous.

“It definitely was the biggest meet I’ve been in. You should be able to deal with it (nerves) and next time I will. I definitely want to go back. They say it’ll be at the same place, in Sacramento (Calif.). It’s a great place to jump with a sellout every day and great crowd atmosphere.”

KU is also a great place to jump, she says, and she hopes she can return to the Relays likely wearing another uniform.

“If that happened to be on our schedule (at Utah State or wherever she transfers to), it’d be a lot of fun,” she said.