LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Football head coach Les Miles today announced that offensive coordinator Les Koenning has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, and Brent Dearmon has been promoted to fill the role.

“I would like to thank Coach Koenning for his contributions to Kansas Football,” said Miles. “This was a difficult decision, but it is in the best interest of our football program both now and in the future. There is still a lot of football left to play this season and I want to put our players in the best position to be successful, which is why I am making the change now.”

“Brent is one of the brightest individuals I have encountered in all of my years coaching. His experience as a record-setting coach and quarterback at the collegiate level will benefit our offense immediately. I believe our players will be naturally drawn to Brent’s leadership and coaching ability. I have the utmost trust in his ability to lead young men and this move puts our players in the best position to be successful moving forward.”

Dearmon joined the staff at KU after a one-year head coaching stint at Bethel University (Tennessee) where he produced the nation’s highest-scoring offense at any level in 2018.

“I am humbled and grateful to Coach Miles for giving me this opportunity to be the offensive coordinator at the University of Kansas,” said Dearmon. “I am excited to get to work right away with the staff and players, and invest in their future both on and off the field. There are a lot of talented young men on this team and it’s up to us as an offensive staff to have them prepared each and every week, and that will be our number one priority.”

In his one season as head coach of his alma mater, Bethel University, Dearmon guided the Wildcats to its best season in school history. BU posted a 10-0 regular season mark and a No. 3 ranking, while averaging 540.3 yards and a nation’s-best 55.0 points per game, the highest scoring offense not just in NAIA, but in all of college football.

Prior to his time at Bethel, Dearmon spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Division II Arkansas Tech and two seasons as an analyst on Gus Malzahn’s staff at Auburn.

In his first year at Arkansas Tech, the Wonder Boys produced the biggest offensive turnaround in college football, including a 360% increase in rushing yards from the previous season. Tech’s offense was the second-rated offense in the Great American Conference (GAC), racking up 36.5 points and 458.8 yards per game. During the 2017 season at Tech, Dearmon’s offense averaged 40 points per game which was tops in the GAC.

Dearmon had a quarterback named to the all-conference team in each of his three seasons at Arkansas Tech. While directing the offense at Tech, they ranked in the top four in the league in rushing offense and several other offensive categories. In 2017, Dearmon’s mentored quarterback, Ty Reasnor, was named a DII Academic All-American.

Dearmon spent the 2013 season as a running backs analyst and the 2014 season as a wide receivers analyst at Auburn University. While Dearmon was at Auburn, the Tigers posted a combined 20-7 record, including an 11-5 mark in SEC play. The 2013 Tigers captured the SEC title en route to an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game.

Dearmon began his coaching career at Bethel in 2007, where he served as a student assistant coaching the defensive backs as the Cats posted an 11-2 record.

After his student assistant stint at Bethel, Dearmon spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Vigor High School in Prichard, Alabama, before taking the reins of the program at B.C. Rain High School for two seasons. Dearmon won a state championship at Vigor in 2008 as his offense averaged 36.0 points per game.

A four-year starter at Bethel, Dearmon re-wrote the school’s record book while leading the Wildcats to the school’s first conference title, first playoff appearance and first playoff victory. He remains the school’s career and single-season record-holder in passing yards (7,045) and touchdowns (77). He spent time after college playing quarterback in the arena and indoor football leagues.