Former Kansas head coach announces return to football

David Beaty‘s years long fight to clear his name concluded on Thursday. The former Kansas head coach was under scrutiny for NCAA violations, stemming from an ugly split with the university.

On Nov. 8, 2018, Kansas athletic director Jeff Long fired Beaty with three games remaining in the season. The firing without cause resulted in the Jayhawks owing Beaty $3 million in buyout money. However, Kansas and Long sent Beaty a letter alleging an assistant coach had committed an NCAA violation. Long purported to be firing him for cause, thereby allowing Kansas to shirk the buyout payments.

David Beaty filed suit against the school several months later. Per the lawsuit, Kansas officials “unabashedly raised the need to ‘find something’ on Coach Beaty such as finding a ‘dead hooker in his closet.’”

Beaty and Kansas settled the suit for $2.55 million in June of 2020. The school fired Jeff Long less than a year later after the school found he failed to properly vet Les Miles, Beaty’s replacement.

“After nearly three years of this debacle, there has been no finding by anyone that David has ever violated any NCAA rule, and as we sit here today we now have a confirmation that there’s not even an allegation that David has ever violated an NCAA rule. This is vindication for David Beaty, for Raynee Beaty, for the entire Beaty family,” Beaty’s attorney Michael Lyons said at a press conference on Thursday.

“David is free from this saga and once again free to work in the coaching ranks, which he loves and is so good at.”

In four years at Kansas, his first head coaching stint, Beaty amassed a 6-42 record. Before his time with the Jayhawks, Beaty was an assistant and a coordinator at Rice, Kansas and Texas A&M.

Beaty reacts to end of Kansas drama

“Today’s just a great day for my family and I. When you get your good name back, you only get one of those,” David Beaty said Thursday. “I’m very fortunate because a lot of times it doesn’t happen.

“The big thing for me was, I believed in right. I just believed that the right thing is the right thing and eventually the truth would come out. Thankfully, thanks to the letter that we have today, the truth is here and I’m just grateful for that.” 

The former offensive coordinator intends to get back into D-I coaching now that his reputation is restored. Despite not coaching since 2019, Beaty’s been keeping up with the high school football scene, so he’s ready to recruit again quickly. Before making the jump to the college ranks, Beaty coaching high school ball in North Texas.

“I’ve been able to be around a bunch of high schools with a bunch of great players, so I feel like I prepared myself to stay up with the time with regards to where the best players are located, and I think that’s going to serve me well as I move forward,” Beaty said.

The Kansas Jayhawks have gone 4-22 since Beaty’s departure.