The Rock Chalkboard

Candidate list: Who will be Kansas football's interim coach?
On Monday, Kansas football announced that the program had "mutually" agreed to part ways with head football coach Les Miles, who was at the helm of the program for two seasons. The program will begin a "national" search for a new coach, an athletics release read, with an outside firm providing guidance.

Timeline: A look back at the Les Miles-era of Kansas football
"When I first came to Kansas," Miles said during his introductory press conference, "I looked around and said, 'Man, it's beautiful. It's green. It's a spectacular place.' I said, 'Why aren't they more successful?' I promise you, I carried that thought with me as we went."

Hot board 1.0: Who will replace Les Miles with Kansas football?
With that, here is a look at potential head coaching names for Kansas. A separate post will detail the leading candidates for an interim staff position, which include recruiting coordinator Joshua Eargle, offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, wideouts coach and passing game coordinator Emmett Jones and defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot...

Kansas AD Jeff Long: 'Outside firm' will assist in hiring of next football coach
In two seasons at Kansas, Miles, a former national-championship-winning coach at LSU, finished 3-18, going 3-9 in his first year and 0-9 in 2020. His full buyout is estimated to be upward of the $8 million mark, though that may change with the "mutually agreed" upon departure.

Les Miles releases statement after parting ways with Kansas
“This is certainly a difficult day for me and for my family," Miles' statement read. "I love this university and the young men in our football program. I truly enjoyed being the head coach at KU and know that it is in a better place now than when I arrived. To our student-athletes I want you to remember that you came to play for KU and earn a degree here so I implore you to stay and build on what we started and do all of the things we talked about doing together. There is a bright future for all of you and for KU football”

Les Miles, Kansas football agree to 'mutually' part ways
In two seasons at Kansas, Miles, a former national-championship-winning coach at LSU, finished 3-18, going 3-9 in his first year and 0-9 in 2020. His buyout is estimated to be upward of the $8 million mark, though the release stated "terms of the agreement will be released in the coming days."

Marcus Garrett, David McCormack, Jalen Wilson receive Big 12 honors
David McCormack and Marcus Garrett each were honored by the conference's coaches, landing on the second team. The Jayhawks had two other players receive All-Big 12 honorable mention in Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun.

Breaking down KU basketball's path through the Big 12 Tournament
The Jayhawks will almost assuredly open play at the tournament against Oklahoma, given the Sooners are ranked in the AP Top 25 while Iowa State went 0-18 in conference play. If, somehow, the Cyclones spring an upset, the Jayhawks will enter that game having already handled the program twice. Kansas defeated Iowa State by 33 at home and 14 on the road in back-to-back games in mid-February.

Reaction: Media slams Kansas, Les Miles after failed hire
“I think you would probably have to ask questions as to why was this guy unemployed for so long? If you think about the ending at LSU, this was a guy who saved his job a year or two before he was ultimately fired and clearly had a lot of support there," Chasen said. "You’d think someone with this resume would be able to jump into another job. I don’t know if that means Jeff Long didn’t do his due diligence. I don’t know if that means things were concealed. I don’t know if that means people were legally bound not to speak on certain things because there is still a lot of that ambiguity.”

Les Miles out at Kansas: Jayhawks football in tough spot with no coach
Even if KU was willing to evaluate coaches off a lower level of competition — which the school has not seriously considered in the past — that the Football Championship Subdivision is conducting a spring season due to the coronavirus pandemic makes the process even more challenging.

Bits o Chalk

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys reach four-year, $160 million deal, source says
Prescott's signing bonus is $66 million, the highest in NFL history, with a record $75 million due in Year 1, Schefter reported. The first three years of the deal average $42 million per year, according to a source.

Germany head coach Low to step down from role after Euro 2020
Low, 61, who was contracted until 2022, will leave the German FA after 17 years with the national team and 15 years as the head coach. He has coached them for 189 games, having won 120 and lost 31. The news means Germany will require a new manager to take them through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Neymar ruled out of PSG-Barcelona Champions League clash with thigh problem
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Barcelona after failing to recover from a thigh problem in time.

Creighton Bluejays reinstate men's basketball coach Greg McDermott
Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott has been reinstated for all team activities following a one-game suspension for racially insensitive comments he made to his players in late February, the school announced Monday.

Eraser Dust

Papa John's Founder: Spent 'Last 20 Months' Trying to 'Get Rid of This N-Word in My Vocabulary'
“We’ve had three goals for the last 20 months: To get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary and dictionary and everything else because it’s just not true,” he said during an appearance on OAN.

President Biden Will Revisit Trump Rules on Campus Sexual Assault - The New York Times
The Biden administration will examine regulations by Betsy DeVos that gave the force of law to rules that granted more due-process rights to students accused of sexual assault.

'QAnon shaman' must remain in jail, judge rules - CNNPolitics
Judge Royce Lamberth said that Jacob Chansley was unrepentant and could plot further attacks against the US government if put on house arrest. He rebuked Chansley as having shown "a detachment from reality" by claiming his actions on January 6 were peaceful and harmless.

U.S. can deliver COVID-19 aid checks quickly, but child tax credit is hurdle | Reuters
The bill also includes an expanded child tax credit of up to $3,000 per child, or $3,600 for each kid under the age of six. The IRS will pay part of this in monthly installments of $250 or $300 from July through December, adding a benefits distributor role to the revenue collection agency’s responsibilities.

South Dakota Governor Says She Will Sign Bill Restricting Trans Kids' Rights : NPR
Monday, the South Dakota state Senate passed a bill that restricts transgender women athletes from competing on high school and college girls' and women's teams. The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Kristi Noem who has said she is excited to sign the bill into law.

Biden’s Dogs Moved After a ‘Biting Incident’ - The New York Times
President Biden’s two German shepherds have been moved to the family home in Delaware after one of the animals showed ongoing aggressive behavior to White House staff, according to a news report.

Kalispell City Council to consider completing trail project at local park | KECI
The Kalispell City Council will be discussing the possible completion of an unfinished loop in the trails at Lawrence Park at a work session on Monday.

Dems ready to leap on Biden's $1.9T Covid aid plan as final vote nears - POLITICO
Democrats are readying a final vote on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package as soon as Tuesday, executing on the measure in less than eight weeks — and making a political bet on mammoth federal spending to boost the economy.