Amid the resurgence of its football program that saw the team ranked in the Top 25 for a spell earlier this year, Kansas signed coach Lance Leipold to a new contract with an extension through the 2029 season, multiple reports said Tuesday night.

Kansas (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. The Jayhawks spent two weeks in October ranked in the AP poll, which they hadn’t achieved since 2009.

Leipold, previously the coach at Buffalo, took over the Jayhawks in March 2021 after the school fired Les Miles amid allegations that he behaved inappropriately with female students.

After a 2-10 finish in 2021 highlighted by a 57-56 upset over Texas, Kansas opened this season 5-0 with conference wins over West Virginia and Iowa State. The Jayhawks went on to add a 37-16 beatdown of then-No. 18 Oklahoma State.

It’s already Leipold’s second extension in 19 months on the job. In September, Kansas announced a one-year extension that brought his contract at the time through the 2027 season.

Despite that, Leipold’s name was linked to vacancies at Nebraska and Arizona State earlier this season.

Under Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, interim coach Clint Bowen, David Beaty and Miles from 2010-20, Kansas football had gone a combined 21-108 with winless seasons in 2015 and 2020.

–Field Level Media