Kansas basketball: Ranking the top coaches in program history
No. 3: Roy Williams (1988–2003)
After the departure of Larry Brown, Kansas went on probation for their first season under Roy Williams. The Jayhawks finished the season 19-12, the worst season for Kansas during the Williams era. Here are some of Williams’ numbers:
- 418–101 record
- 2-time national runner-up
- 4 Final Fours
- 9 Big Eight and Big 12 titles.
- 7-time Big 12 and Big Eight Coach of the Year
- 1990 Henry Iba Coach of the Year
- 1992 AP Coach of the Year
- 1997 Naismith Coach of the Year
Kansas basketball had some of the best teams in program history under Williams despite never winning a title. Williams also recruited some of the best NBA talent to come out of Kansas with guys like Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Jacque Vaughn, and many others who went on to long NBA careers after Kansas.
It only took Williams three seasons to get his squad to the title game. The Jayhawks went into the 1991 national championship with lots of momentum after beating one-seed Arkansas in the Elite Eight and then Dean Smith’s Tar Heels in the Final Four.
The Jayhawks would be taking on Christian Laettner and Duke in the title game the year after Laettner and his squad were embarrassed by UNLV in the championship. The Blue Devils would end up taking down Kansas 72–65, but Roy continued to keep the Jayhawks in the national spotlight.
It’d take until 2003 though for Williams’ squad to reach the final again though.
The 2003 team led by Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich ended up falling to Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse club led by future NBA star Carmelo Anthony. The 81-78 heartbreaker was tough. It was the end of Collison and Hinrich’s careers at Kansas, and Roy’s too. Williams would head home to take over the North Carolina Tar Heels after the title game loss.
While Williams never won a title at Kansas, his success is undeniable. Out of the eight coaches, Williams has the second-highest winning percentage barely behind Bill Self. His accolades speak for themselves too, despite not winning the big one.