Scott Weiss, who has been Kansas University’s director of bands since 2007, is leaving the school to take a similar position at the University of South Carolina.

He will begin his new job in July.

During his tenure, he has grown the KU bands through aggressive recruiting efforts and set up an endowed fund to support the bands’ work financially.

“I have spent a great deal of my time in Kansas on the road,” Weiss said. “I’ve just been beating the bushes and trying to get kids to come out here.”

His efforts have largely been successful, said Marion Roberts, who has been director of bands at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park for 24 years.

“He’s a real loss for the program,” said Roberts, who lives in Lawrence and received his doctorate from KU. “The thing that Scott had done so well was he not only recruited in Kansas, but also recruited nationwide.”

His engaging personality also endeared him to smaller schools in central and western Kansas that typically did not have strong ties to KU, Roberts said.

Weiss said that while he enjoyed his time at KU, the position at South Carolina represented a great professional opportunity, and would be closer to his wife’s family in Georgia.

The KU School of Music has identified a field of candidates to replace Weiss and is conducting interviews.