Many across the country might have asked, “Who is David Beaty?” upon learning that Kansas has identified him as its first choice to become next football coach at a school coming off its worst five-year record in history.

High school football coaches in talent-rich Texas need not ask the same. That is the No. 1 reason why KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger chose the Texas A&M recruiting coordinator/wide receivers coach to lead the program.

Zenger is gambling that Beaty, who has just one year of college experience as offensive coordinator, can woo Texas talent to Lawrence better than any KU coach ever has.
Beaty, 44, is a 1994 graduate of Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo., where he led the team in receptions for three consecutive seasons.

He played football and soccer at Garland (Texas) High, so maybe he can finally recruit a placekicker he can trust in games.

He first became a head coach at North Dallas High in 2001, where he finished with a 6-4 record. From there, he went to MacArthur High (2002-05), where he went 33-11 in four seasons as head coach.

Next up was the first of two stints at Rice, where he was wide receivers coach in 2006 and 2007.

Beaty joined Mark Mangino’s staff at Kansas for the 2008 and 2009 seasons as wide receivers coach. Turner Gill did not retain him, but brought him back to KU a year later, after Gill’s first wide receivers coach left for Texas.

Beaty wasn’t out of work for long and was brought back to Rice as OC in 2010, when the Owls finished 52nd in the nation with 28.7 points per game, 64th in total offense with 374 yards per game and 64th with 215.9 passing yards per game. He left for Texas A&M after one season.
Beaty has a reputation for being good with generous boosters and fans in general. He and wife, Raynee, have two daughters, Averie and Alexa.