While he was growing up, Kansas University football coach Terry Allen probably spent as much time around swimming pools as he did football fields.
Allen’s father, Robert, was head swim coach at Iowa University for 16 years (1959-1975). Robert Allen died of a heart attack in 1989 at the age of 63.
“My dad would turn over in his grave,” Terry Allen said, “if he knew we dropped swimming while I was football coach.”
On Sunday, Kansas University athletics director Bob Frederick announced that men’s swimming and men’s tennis would be dropped as varsity sports because of long-range projections of red ink in the budget.
“I would have loved to win more football games so we could have saved those sports,” Allen said.
There’s no way of knowing, of course, whether winning more football games would have translated into enough of an attendance increase to save those sports.
But, as Allen said: “It couldn’t have hurt.”
In four years as KU head coach, Allen has posted two five-win and two four-win seasons. His overall record is 18-27. Kansas hasn’t had a winning record since the 10-2 Aloha Bowl season of 1995. The Jayhawks were 4-7 in Glen Mason’s last year on Mount Oread (1996).
KU’s home attendance has dwindled to the point where the Jayhawks rank No. 11 in the Big 12 Conference, ahead of only Baylor.
Thus Frederick has targeted football in a five-year plan that will boost expenditures in the sport from $4.6 million this year to $6.7 million in 2006. Allen was happy to see those numbers.
“Absolutely,” the KU coach said. “I appreciate the commitment to the football program.”
Much of that commitment will result in improved salaries for Allen’s staff. KU ranks last in the conference in football coaches’ pay, but there are already indications that may change.
Allen has added four new staffers this year and, he said, “We spent more money to go get those assistant coaches.”
Allen’s new aides are Tom Hayes, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach; Clarence James, wide receivers; Travis Jones, defensive line; and Sam Pittman, offensive line.
Allen was also pleased KU officials junked the possibility of playing the Oct. 20 game against Missouri at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium instead of in Lawrence.
“If we’re going to play Missouri, I want to play them in Lawrence,” Allen said. “But if Missouri would agree to play there, too, it might have been a neat thing. Otherwise, moving the game to Kansas City is not right.”
Missouri had expressed no interest is playing its home games against the Jayhawks in Arrowhead.
Still, while Allen is happy KU officials are infusing the football program with additional money, it frustrates him that swimming and tennis were victimized in the process.
“I’m personally torn because I grew up as an Olympics sports kid,” Allen said. “I know that football players are no different than swimmers. They have the same needs and wants.”
KU’s spring football drills will begin on March 29.
