Former Colorado and Northwestern football coach Gary Barnett is probably not going to be the next head coach at Kansas University.

Probably, as in former Jayhawk running back Jake Sharp might have a better shot.

But that doesn’t mean that Barnett can’t help Kansas.

Thursday morning, on both WHB 810 sports radio in Kansas City and in an article written by Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Barnett expressed his interest in the KU job. He did this when the job was open in the past and his desire to give it a try in Lawrence seems sincere. But that doesn’t mean he’s the guy.

There are a bunch of reasons for that, ranging from his age (68), his resignation from Colorado following a recruiting scandal and the fact that he’s been out of coaching since 2005, but the bottom line is the Jayhawks can probably do better. Maybe not better as in Jim Harbaugh, but better as in younger, more ties to Texas, more ties to Kansas, more energy for the massive rebuilding project that is Kansas football.

Barnett was a darn good coach in his day. His rebuild at Northwestern was one of the best of the time and his Colorado teams were always competitive in the Big 12 and the Buffs haven’t had a winning season since he left.

But KU does not have to hire Barnett to get something from him. Just him showing interest in the opening is good news for Kansas. It proves people want the job. It proves that good coaches with a good track record and a recognizable name want the job. It provides the appearance that the KU job is worth taking. And let’s face it, at the moment it’s not as if very many people out there are thinking that way.

The Jayhawks have been in the cellar of the Big 12 for several years in a row, unable to beat even Iowa State. The current roster is full of talented seniors who won’t be around for the next head coach and the offensive line and quarterback positions — two of the game’s most important — are a mess.

If a guy like Barnett, with his 92 career victories and 34-22 career mark as a head coach in the Big 12, is interested, that could help raise some eyebrows from others around the country and, at the very least, give Kansas AD Sheahon Zenger more and better options.

I’m not naive. I realize that a big reason Barnett might want the job is for the paycheck. Who wouldn’t be excited about the idea of making $5-7 million over the next five years no matter what the challenges are? Sure sounds better than the dough he’s bringing home as a color guy for radio broadcasts of college games. Beyond that, it’s rarely a good look, for the individual, to be campaigning for job openings on local talk radio shows.

But even without spending a day in the head coach’s office, Barnett just did KU a favor. And it didn’t cost Zenger a dime. The more names like this that surface — and the more time the Kansas opening spends in the headlines — the more likely it becomes that the guy who is the right fit but is on the fence about taking the job decides it’s worth it and takes the plunge.