Kansas Jayhawks promote Jim Zebrowski to offensive coordinator of football team
Kansas Jayhawks co-offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowksi will assume that title solo and full-time in 2025, KU head football coach Lance Leipold announced on Saturday.
The news comes a day after Wisconsin hastened its pursuit of KU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes for its own OC opening. ESPN reported Saturday that Grimes’ hire by Wisconsin is a done deal.
Leipold and Zebrowski have history dating to 2007, when Zebrowski joined Leipold as an assistant coach at UW-Whitewater.
Zebrowski, 57, came to Kansas in 2021 as the Jayhawks’ quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2023 and shared the title with Grimes this year.
“Jim and I have worked together for more than 10 years and he has a great knowledge of the game and our offense,” head coach Lance Leipold said in a school news release announcing the promotion. “Jim has been instrumental in our success and will continue to push our program forward. He is a quality mentor to our student-athletes and takes pride in being a Jayhawk.”
Zebrowski has a close relationship with the Jayhawks’ quarterbacks — no one more so than star signal-caller Jalon Daniels. On Friday, Daniels, who graduates this month, announced he’ll return for a sixth and final season at KU in 2025.
Daniels finished the 2024 season with 2,174 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 410 yards and six TDs. He ended the year strong after throwing eight interceptions in his first five games.
Zebrowski is credited with helping lead the Jayhawks to two straight bowl games, after the 2022 and 2023 seasons. KU fell short of a bowl this season, winning five games.
In 2023, Zebrowski was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football. His leadership helped keep things rolling when Jason Bean took over as quarterback after Daniels played in just three games because of a lingering back injury.
KU’s offense passed for 2,672 yards this season, with 18 touchdowns and a 163.2 passing efficiency, ranking second in the Big 12 Conference.
“I’m thankful to Coach Leipold and the University of Kansas for the opportunity to serve as offensive coordinator,” Zebrowski said in a news release announcing the move. “I’m so excited for this opportunity to continue to work with our staff in developing our student-athletes and moving the Kansas football program forward. Let’s go, Rock Chalk!”
This story was originally published December 7, 2024 at 12:52 PM.
