Here are comments from a sampling of University of Connecticut coaches and administrators about athletic director Lew Perkins’ decision to leave for Kansas University:

Football coach Randy Edsall

“If Lew feels it is in the best interest for him and (his wife) Gwen and his daughters, that’s his decision to make. I can never question anything like that. Maybe the timing isn’t good. But you can’t fault him for taking a job that he might be able to set himself up for the rest of his life.”

Men’s basketball coach

Jim Calhoun

“I admire everything he did for the university. There is no issue of disloyalty for me. Every man has to run his own life the way he sees fit. I’m going to miss his friendship, but life goes on, and people make business decisions.”

Women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma

“I don’t know that you build an athletic department like this one, and then all of a sudden, it’s going to take a step backwards. You don’t go backwards. Whoever the next person is coming in, they have the responsibility of improving on that.”

Associate AD

Jim Marchiony

“The university is going to miss him. The division of athletics is going to miss him terribly. But I think that part of Lew’s excellence as a leader is the fact that he has surrounded himself with people who are good at what they do. Lew wasn’t afraid to do that. There are people at the university who are skilled and can lead UConn through this.”