It seems hard to fathom that in 128 years of Kansas basketball, there have been just eight head basketball coaches, not counting interim coaches or temporary fill-ins.
The shortest tenure for any head coach was five years, and the longest was 39 years. The only two men who did not make it to a Final Four coached before the NCAA Tournament existed.
The game has changed so much since Dr. James Naismith first wrote out his rules of the game.
Those rules reside in the DeBruce Center, which connects to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. It has evolved steadily through the decades into the high-flying, fast-paced, long-ranged shooting game it is today.
The history of college basketball flows through the Kansas program like blood through a body.
Kansas basketball history is a history of the sport, and the coaches played a massive part in that history.
No. 8: Dr. James Naismith
It's ironic that the first head coach in KU history is the inventor of the game. The art of coaching had yet to be fleshed out, and it was almost a supervisory role. In fact, Naismith wasn't even hired at Kansas to be a basketball coach, but a PE teacher. Once KU decided to add a team, Naismith was a logical choice to run it.
He coached the Jayhawks for nine seasons, compiling a record of 55-60. The school averaged only 12.7 games a year, and the Jayhawks mostly played against YMCAs and clubs in the early years. The most games won in a season was 12.
In the early seasons, Naismith coached a youngster named Forrest Allen, who has his own place in basketball history.
Of course, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is named after the inventor of the game and the first-ever KU basketball coach.
No. 7: Dick Harp
Harp had the unenviable task of taking over for the legendary Phog Allen when the latter was ready to retire. Harp also had the bad luck of inheriting one of the greatest basketball players ever born and not winning a championship with him.
When Allen was forced out because of his age and antiquated laws in Kansas concerning state employees, the old ball coach wasn't allowed to coach the superstar player he'd recruited. Harp was thrust into the head coaching role and was given the greatest prize of all: Wilt Chamberlain.
It was as if KU wasn't good with the Big Dipper; they were. The Jayhawks went 42-8 in the two seasons Chamberlain played at Kansas. But Harp and Chamberlain were unable to win a national title, falling short in 1957, losing to North Carolina 54-53 in triple overtime. Chamberlain scored 23 points and had 14 rebounds, but two late free throws by the Tar Heels took down the Jayhawks.
That failure, and Chamberlain's departure after his junior season, haunted Harp. KU went just 79-74 over the six seasons. Because of his lack of success without Chamberlain and that heartbreaking loss in the national championship game, Harp's turn at the helm was disappointing. The pressures and expectations of the job led Harp to retire after the 1963-64 season.
No. 6: W. O. Hamilton
It is relatively difficult to judge Hamilton because not as much is known about him as the other coaches on this list. He bridged the gap between Allen's two tenures and enjoyed great success, winning 67.9 percent of his games.
Hamilton had just two losing seasons and had five Missouri Valley Conference championships. He also coached Ku's first three All-Americans, including Hall-of-Fame coach Dutch LonBorg.
Hamilton laid the foundation for Kansas to become the outstanding program it would become under Allen. He established the Jayhawks' winning tradition as well as the tradition of having terrific players. His time at Kansas was a harbinger of things to come.
No. 5: Ted Owens
Owens took over for Harp in 1964 and enjoyed success quickly. After a 17-win season his first year, he led the Jayhawks to the Elite Eight in 1966. KU lost a controversial, one-point, double-overtime game to the eventual champions, Texas Western. In the first overtime, JoJo White hit a shot at the buzzer that would have won the game, but it was ruled on the court that he stepped out of bounds.
Owens and White argued that he didn't, but there wasn't replay in those days, and the call stood. That was the first of four consecutive 20-win seasons for Owens and KU. Owens would get more chances for a national title, going to the Final Four in 1971 and 1974.
Owens' downfall at Kansas came after two losing seasons in 1981-82 and 1982-83 and an inability to beat in-state rival Kansas State. Owens lost his last five matchups with the Wildcats, and coupled with the losing seasons, that was enough to send Owens on. Though he is the fourth-winningest coach in KU history, he is the only head coach in KU history to be fired.
Brown, with Manning's help, bounced back. Though a six seed in 1988, KU worked its way through the NCAA Tournament with a much less talented roster. Luckily, Manning was still a Jayhawk. Danny and the Miracles winning the national championship was perhaps Brown's greatest accomplishment in a career where Brown was successful at every level of coaching.
Brown left after winning the title in 1988, leaving Kansas suspended due to fairly innocuous NCAA recruiting violations for an athlete who never attended KU. Still, Brown's 75.4 winning percentage at KU is the third-highest in school history. His 1986 and 1988 teams are two of the most storied squads in the school's annals.
No. 4: Larry Brown
Just like it was difficult to rank Harp and Hamilton, so it is with Owens and Brown. The former led Kansas for 17 years, while the latter for just five. Both had immense success, but Brown's was a much smaller sample size, and he bailed on a high note and didn't have to deal with the fallout after his departure.
Still, Brown made one incredible move: he added Danny Manning's dad as an assistant coach and secured the superstar to play at Kansas. Brown's Jayhawk rosters never won fewer than 22 games, and the 1985-86 squad was one of the most talented in Kansas history. Unfortunately, they fell in the Final Four against Duke but finished 35-4.
Brown, with Manning's help, bounced back. Though a six seed in 1988, KU worked its way through the NCAA Tournament with a much less talented roster. Luckily, Manning was still a Jayhawk. Danny and the Miracles winning the national championship was perhaps Brown's greatest accomplishment in a career where Brown was successful at every level of coaching.
Brown left after winning the title in 1988, leaving Kansas suspended due to fairly innocuous NCAA recruiting violations for an athlete who never attended KU. Still, Brown's 75.4 winning percentage at KU is the third-highest in school history. His 1986 and 1988 teams are two of the most storied squads in the school's annals.
No. 3: Roy Williams
It's an impressive feat if Roy Williams is only the third-best coach in school history. His accomplishments at KU are legendary. His 80.5 career winning percentage is almost unfathomable.
He took over a team coming off a national title run but was on probation for a year because of violations committed under Brown. KU went 19-12 that season but wasn't allowed to play in March Madness. It is the last time Kansas has not made the tournament.
Williams' teams went to four Final Fours, and the 1996-97, 1997-98, and 2001-02 teams are among the greatest in school history. The one thing that holds Williams down is the fact he could not secure a championship while at KU, though he won three at North Carolina.
As outstanding and tradition-rich as the Kansas basketball program was before he arrived on campus, Williams took it to new heights. Once the Big 12 was founded, KU dominated. Williams won four regular-season conference championships in the seven seasons before he left and three conference tournaments. In conference play, he was a remarkable 94-18, winning 83.9 percent of the time in the Big 12.
Who knows what Williams might have accomplished if he had stayed at Kansas, but he was tremendous when he was the head coach. He is now a legend at two schools, including Kansas.
No. 2: Dr. Forrest “Phog” Allen
If Dr. Naismith invented basketball, Phog Allen invented basketball coaching. He was the most successful coach over the first six decades of the sport, and his influence covered all aspects of the game. Not only did he win 719 games (590 at KU), but he was also a leading force in getting basketball added as an Olympic sport, and he founded the National Association of Coaches, which put together the NCAA Tournament.
What makes his win total even more amazing is that when he coached, teams played approximately 10 fewer games than they do now. To accumulate that many wins in that time is incredible.
Allen coached all-time great coaches Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith and mentored, along with Naismith, John McClendon, who is credited with inventing the fast break. Dutch Lonborg and Ralph Miller, both Hall of Fame coaches, also played under Allen.
He won 24 conference championships, went to three Final Fours, and won three national championships (two were awarded by the Helms Foundation before the NCAA Tournament existed). He coached three Hall of Fame players and recruited Chamberlain.
He was forced to retire in 1956 due to a Kansas law that forced all state employees to retire at 70. As coach at a state school, he fell under that law. He never got to coach Wilt Chamberlain, whom he recruited to Kansas, or play in the building that bore his name.
There is no doubt that Allen is not only an integral part of Kansas basketball history but also of college basketball. He is a true legend of the game.
No. 1: Bill Self
To be the top-ranked head coach at a school so rich in basketball history is quite an accomplishment. It's been well-earned. He has done nothing but win since his arrival at KU. He has 11 30-win seasons and hasn't ever won fewer than 21 games. His 79.5 winning percentage is only behind that of Roy Williams.
He has the most NCAA Tournament titles in school history with two. He has four Final Fours, and he's won an incredible 17 Big 12 regular-season championships, including a record-setting 14 in a row, and nine Big 12 tournament titles. Furthermore, he's a three-time National Coach of the Year, and he's coached 16 All-Americans, more than any other Kansas coach.
All of this does not even include any chance he might have had for another championship when his top-ranked team's season was cancelled due to COVID in 2020.
Self has been particularly successful in Allen Fieldhouse, where he sports an unreal record of 345-23, a winning clip of 93.7 percent. He's never been beaten at home by the same coach twice in those 23 losses over his 23 seasons at KU. He's also 41-0 at home when the Jayhawks are featured on ESPN's Big Monday, and he has three different home streaks of at least 30 wins. Truly remarkable.
Self's career isn't over yet. He will add to his win total over the next year and beyond, and it will put his win total out of reach for anyone for a very long time.
Note: Sports Reference is the main statistical resource for this article. They counted the wins KU and Self had to vacate to appease the NCAA.
Kansas basketball is a clear blueblood among college programs, and that status is earned and well-deserved. The fact the school has just these eight coaches in its entire history is a testament to its traditions and history.
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