photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas coach Lance Leipold speaks to reporters at the conclusion of the Kansas Football Pro Day on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Lawrence.

Ever since the NCAA removed limits on so-called “countable coaches” in college football — allowing more members of a team’s staff to do hands-on coaching in practices and games than ever before — the significance of analyst roles has dramatically increased.

Kansas has 14 analysts on staff this season, the vast majority of whom are new this year, and all of whom are now listed as assistant position coaches of some kind.

Many coaches who come to KU in these roles don’t stay particularly long, or use their tenures in Lawrence as stepping stones from one job to the next. But on the other hand, KU’s current defensive ends coach Joe Dineen and defensive backs coach Brandon Shelby served as analysts before receiving promotions into their current positions. (The new coaching rules allowed KU to more easily separate Taiwo Onatolu’s duties into two roles, allowing Onatolu to remain as special teams coordinator amid Dineen’s promotion.)

This offseason, KU made some of its flashiest analyst hires under Lance Leipold with the additions of Duane Akina and John DeFilippo, each of whom has the title of “senior analyst”; Akina works with the defensive backs under Shelby, while DeFilippo assists passing game coordinator Jim Zebrowski with the quarterbacks.

Leipold called Akina an “outstanding football coach.” The 47-year coaching veteran is best known for multiple stints at Arizona and Texas, including most recently as the Longhorns’ defensive passing game coordinator last season.

“I met Coach Akina probably over 30 years ago when (KU general manager) Rob Ianello and him worked together at Arizona,” Leipold said. “Rob and Duane were talking and he was still looking for an opportunity to make a contribution to a program and we had conversations. D.K. (McDonald, defensive coordinator) was always impressed with the work that he’s had. If you look at the All-Americans, the Thorpe winners, all those things, he’s a very accomplished coach who has a lot of energy.”

Akina has coached numerous players who went on to lengthy NFL careers. The winners under his tutelage of the Jim Thorpe Award Leipold referenced for the nation’s defensive back were Darryll Lewis (1990), Michael Huff (2005) and Aaron Ross (2006).

DeFilippo, as Leipold noted, has no shortage of NFL experience. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2015), Minnesota Vikings (2018) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019) and won a Super Bowl as the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles; he also spent two seasons as a spring football head coach.

A handful of other new coaches joined the staff to assist at various positions in recent months. Kevin Johnson, who also has experience as a special teams coordinator, is working with the running backs under Jonathan Wallace. David Parker followed Andy Kotelnicki back to Lawrence to assist with the tight ends.

“David Parker was somebody that Andy worked with at Penn State, was at the University of Tennessee, and again when a guy wants to leave an SEC program to come work with us and get back on offense, (it) was something we felt was a great addition,” Leipold said. “He’s been at Arkansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, brings a lot of different perspectives and (is) a fine coach.”

The defensive side of the ball includes a former Cyclone who overlapped with McDonald at Iowa State, Bobby McMillen, most recently of Southeast Missouri. Leipold noted that he was at New Mexico State with Jerry Kill (who for a long time had Zebrowski on staff at Minnesota). McMillen will assist Chris Simpson with the linebackers.

These recent additions join a staff that also includes the following:

• Assistant defensive ends coach Courtney Arnick: A former Jayhawk linebacker who spent time on staff at Louisiana Tech and with Dineen at Purdue

• Assistant defensive line coach Darius Carey: A veteran Division II assistant who works with the defensive tackles under Jim Panagos

• Assistant offensive line coach Kevin Ceh: Followed Kotelnicki from Penn State

• Assistant wide receivers coach Kelton Copeland: Now in his third year at KU after a lengthy stint coaching the position at Iowa

• Assistant special teams, kickers and punters coach Kyle DeWeen: A special teams analyst who punted for Leipold at Buffalo

• Assistant offensive line coach Bill Queisert: Followed Kotelnicki from Penn State, but had actually spent a longer stint at KU beforehand

• Assistant special teams coach Aaron Miller: One of Leipold’s longest-tenured assistants who has been on staff since 2021

• Assistant linebackers coach Jake Swalley: A former member of the Miami staff who played at Arkansas State

• Assistant defensive backs coach Bryce Torneden: A Lawrence native and Free State High School graduate who played in the USFL and is now stepping into the coaching ranks

photo by: AP Photo/Michael Thomas

Texas assistant head coach Duane Akina coaches the Texas defense during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, in Austin, Texas.

photo by: AP Photo/John Raoux

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, left, directs wide receiver Raphael Leonard (14) during an NFL football practice, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, in Jacksonville, Fla.