Kansas basketball: Ranking the top coaches in program history
No. 2: Bill Self (2003–present)
Bill Self came to Kansas after he led Illinois to a pair of Big 10 titles as well as an Elite Eight appearance. Since becoming Kansas basketball’s head coach back in ’03, he’s compiled one of the best records in Kansas basketball history:
- 500-109 record (as of April 2020)
- 1 NCAA championship
- 1-time national runner-up
- 3 Final Fours
- 15 Big 12 titles
- 6-time Big 12 Coach of the Year
- 2009 AP Coach of the Year, 2009 Henry Iba Award Coach of the Year
- 2012 Naismith Coach of the Year
- 2016 AP Coach of the Year
It took Self five years at Kansas to get to his first career Final Four where his Jayhawks defeated Roy Williams’ Tar Heels 84-66. The win set the stage for a national title against a talented Memphis team featuring future NBA MVP Derrick Rose.
With time running down and the Jayhawks down by three, Mario Chalmers hit the greatest shot in Kansas basketball history to send the game into overtime. Kansas won the game in overtime to claim their first national title since 1988, and Self cemented his legacy at Kansas.
Self and the Jayhawks would return to the national championship less than five years later in 2012; however, the outcome wasn’t the same. The Kentucky Wildcats were nearly unstoppable that season behind the play of Anthony Davis, and the Jayhawks were defeated 67-59.
By process of elimination, you can probably guess who the No. 1 coach is.I’ll pose a question: would winning a second NCAA title push Self into the No. 1 slot? In my mind, the answer to that question is “yes.” Until then, there’s only one person that can be No. 1.