Kansas’ Beaty — ‘I think society can learn a lot from these young men’

Kansas head coach David Beaty returned to his hometown of Dallas with a heavy heart because of the shootings of Dallas police officers July 7.

During his portion of Big 12 Media Days July 17, Beaty said he believes college football can serve as an example to help the nation.

“Young men from all walks of life, different backgrounds coming together, listening to one another, working hard together, learning from one another, fighting together for a common goal,” he said. “I think society can learn a lot from these young men, and I’m excited about working with some of them at KU.”

Beaty said he and his coaches have created an environment based on caring for each other and the players. In turn, the athletes care about their teammates more than they do themselves.

And he believes that’s something these athletes can teach the country.

“We’ve worked really hard to try to create a cohesive unit there,” he said, “and the way we do that is we listen to one another when we communicate. I think one of the biggest things we urge our guys to do is communicate. We don’t know if we don’t talk.”

He used his own personal life as an example. He said he strives to listen to what his wife and children say. He noted that when he does that, it strengthens those relationships. He half joked that he needs to listen to his wife better, adding she has told him that often.

“I think that’s an art that’s lost out there,” he said. “We teach our guys to listen, be good listeners and try to understand where each side is coming from. I think opening lines of communication is really big and really understanding that, you know, you can do a lot with listening and communicating. I certainly would never ever want us to believe that violence is an answer.”

Beaty did talk a little Jayhawk football. In his first year, Kansas didn’t win a game. He said his biggest ache was for the fans, his coaches and players.

“But we were doing foundation work, and it’s hard but it’s necessary,” he said.

The coach added that perhaps cutting corners would have resulted in a win or two. But he was unwilling to sacrifice laying a foundation.

“We wanted to make sure it was something that is going to be long lasting,” he said. “As a result our deal now is we got to win games.”

Quarterback injuries were part of his first season. Beaty said he was pleased with the way Montell Cozart, Carter Stanley and even Ryan Willis performed during the spring. Willis couldn’t throw more than a Nerf ball, but he was working with his teammates, the coach said. He expects the competition for starting quarterback to go into fall camp and doesn’t have an end date in mind. He said he is looking for a “clear divider.”

“Once that happens we’ll make that decision,” Beaty said. “We would like for it to be quick, but we don’t always get what we want. We will take it as long as we have to take it.”

Beaty acknowledged he has a difficult job, but he prefers to look at it as an opportunity.

“We know where we are headed, and our players do as well,” he said. “For us to go through a season we went through, if you would have came to that last practice before that last game, you would have never thought we hadn’t won a game. Our guys worked and enjoyed everything they did with regard to development. They know where we are heading, and they can see the future.

“Is it difficult? Yes,” he added. “But every job is difficult. Doesn’t really matter where you’re coaching, everything has their own unique set of characteristics that make it difficult. But there are a lot of great things about them, too, and there is a lot of tremendous support at KU.”

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