Kansas has fired head coach Charlie Weis in the third year of his five-year contract, ESPN reports. Weis won just one Big 12 game during his tenure with the Jayhawks.
Athletic director Sheahon Zenger said defensive coordinator Clint Bowen will take over as interim head coach.
"I normally do not favor changing coaches mid-season," Zenger said in a statement. "But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin making progress right away."
Weis went just 6-22 during his time at Kansas. He won only one of 19 conference games and had only two other victories against FBS teams. Weis is the second Kansas coach in a row following Turner Gill to be fired before their contracts ended. Weis' dismissal comes a day after Kansas suffered a 23-0 loss to Texas on Saturday.
"I appreciate what Coach Weis did with several facets of our football program," Zenger said. "But we have not made the on-the-field progress we believe we should. I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the best chance to make a fresh start."
After taking over for Gill following a 2-10 season in 2011, Weis dismissed 29 players from the team for a fresh start. However, the move backfired as a poor Jayhawks team became even more talent-depleted and thin at key positions.
"I miscalculated the impact of when I threw 29 guys off the team the first year I was there," Weis said during Big 12 media days this summer. "I walked in there; there were a lot of issues I felt had to be resolved and one of the ways to resolve them was to get rid of them."
Weis recruited heavily from junior colleges in order to replenish the roster but several players failed to make a significant impact. Despite Weis' offensive background, Kansas struggled mightily on that side of the ball for much of his tenure.
Weis will still receive the full $7 million-plus that is owed to him, according to the Lawrence Journal-World.
"As we continue to elevate the national stature of the University of Kansas, our pursuit of excellence extends beyond our research and instructional missions," said KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. "KU alumni, students, fans and supporters expect that Kansas Football will match the other areas in which we excel as a university. After consulting with Dr. Zenger, I am in agreement that it is time for new leadership of our football program."
