Kansas football defensive coordinator Brian Borland

In his first season in charge of the Kansas football program, Lance Leipold will be surrounded by assistants the head coach knows well. But none of the other Buffalo transplants have worked with Leipold as long as defensive coordinator Brian Borland.

“I’ve coached with Brian by my side for more than a decade,” Leipold said of his longtime defensive wingman, “and I’m very happy he’ll be my side here at Kansas, as well.”

When the two make their debut at the Power Five level with the Jayhawks this fall, it will mark the duo’s 15th season in a row working together. When Leipold became the head coach at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, Borland already had been the program’s D.C. for five years. They have continued to collaborate ever since and won six national titles together at Whitewater.

Buffalo became one of the top programs in the MAC the past three years with Borland’s 4-3 defense complementing the Bulls’ effective offense.

UB’s 6-1 showing in the pandemic shortened 2020 season featured the MAC’s leader in total defense, as the unit allowed 360.4 yards per game (ranking 35th among all FBS teams). The Bulls’ defense only gave up 21.9 points a game this past fall, ranking second in the MAC and 30th nationally.

In 2019, Buffalo went 8-5 and could boast that it had one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. The Bulls led the MAC and ranked seventh in the country in total defense (291.9 yards allowed per game). UB’s rushing defense in particular proved to be stout, as opponents only managed to average 94.2 yards on the ground (1st in the MAC, No. 4 in FBS).

Earlier in Borland’s run at Buffalo, the Bulls’ defense typically found a way to stand out in at least one category a year. In 2018, UB collected 14 interceptions (2nd in the MAC, 24th in the nation). In 2016, Buffalo’s pass defense (181.5 yards allowed) ranked first in the MAC and 13th in the country. And in 2015, the first year for Leipold and Borland at UB, the Bulls set a program record with seven defensive touchdowns, which ranked second nationally.

A Wisconsin Football Coaches Association hall of famer, Borland worked at Division III Whitewater for 21 seasons, serving as the defensive coordinator from 2002-14, after beginning his run there as a defensive backs coach.

Before spending more than two decades with one program, Borland actually worked just outside of Lawrence, serving as the defensive coordinator at Baker from 1991-93. He was also the head softball coach at Baker at that time.

“Brian has ties to this area,” Leipold noted, “and will undoubtedly do great things here in Lawrence. There are obviously some very talented offenses in the Big 12, and I know Brian and our staff will be up to the challenge each week.”

Borland also worked as the defensive coordinator at Minnesota-Morris (1989-91), was an assistant at Arizona Western (1986-88) and worked as a graduate assistant at both Florida (1988-89) and Wisconsin (1985-86).

Before he jumped into what would turn into a lengthy coaching career, Borland played college football at Morningside College (Iowa), where from 1981-84 he was a three-year starter at defensive back and a team captain.

UB defensive averages under Borland

2015 — 27.6 points allowed, 186.1 rushing yards allowed, 227.3 passing yards allowed

2016 — 31.9 points allowed, 253.3 rushing yards allowed, 181.5 passing yards allowed

2017 — 24.8 points allowed, 194.8 rushing yards allowed, 203.3 passing yards allowed

2018 — 25.9 points allowed, 161.1 rushing yards allowed, 194.2 passing yards allowed

2019 — 21.3 points allowed, 94.2 rushing yards allowed, 197.8 passing yards allowed

2020 — 21.9 points allowed, 157.4 rushing yards allowed, 203 passing yards allowed