Weis hired to coach Kansas

Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis was hired at Kansas, where he’ll try to rebuild a program that won the Orange Bowl just a few years ago but floundered under Turner Gill.

Weis will be introduced during a news conference today.

Weis is wrapping up his first season as offensive coordinator at Florida after spending one season directing the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense. But his most extensive college experience came with the Fighting Irish, where he went 35-27 in five seasons before he was let go.

The 55-year-old Weis helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls on the staff of Bill Belichick, and has also spent time with the Jets and Giants.

School officials did not disclose the terms of Weis’s contract.

Gill was fired after going 5-19 in two seasons.

Big night for LSU 

It has been LSU’s year, and it was the Tigers’ night at the 21st annual College Football Awards at Orlando, Fla. Members of the Tigers’ secondary won two of the major awards last night.

Cornerback and Heisman Trophy nominee Tyrann Mathieu won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the college defensive player of the year, and teammate Morris Claiborne took the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s outstanding defensive back.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck won the Maxwell Award as the player of the year, and Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III received the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Both are nominees for the Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded tomorrow in New York.

Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State became the second two-time winner of the Biletnikof Award as the nation’s outstanding receiver.

Alabama’s Trent Richardson, another Heisman finalist, won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back, and Alabama teammate Barrett Jones won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s outstanding interior lineman. Texas A&M’s Randy Bullock won the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, and Ryan Allen of Louisiana Tech won the Ray Guy Award as the best punter.

Memphis hires Fuente 

Memphis hired TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente to coach the Tigers’ struggling program. Fuente, 35, signed a five-year contract.

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