Friday, December 1, 2006

Five more years

Self inks lucrative extension

By Gary Bedore

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Lew Perkins believes the right man is running Kansas University's basketball program.

"I do not know anybody (else) out there I'd want to be our head coach. He's as good as it comes. He's already proved it to me," Perkins, KU's athletic director, said Thursday of Bill Self.

Perkins proved talk isn't cheap by reaching terms with the fourth-year KU coach on a new five-year deal worth $1.6 million per season.

Self's old contract, which was to expire after the 2007-08 campaign, was worth about $1.1 million per annum.

"I want Bill to be our basketball coach. He stands for everything we want," Perkins said. "I wanted to tie him up (through 2011), plus I think he deserved it. Our basketball program has a great deal of potential lying ahead of us. I'm big on continuity."

Self - his new contract begins retroactively on April 1, 2006 and expires in March 2011 - receives an annual salary of $220,000 (up from $129,380) plus additional payments (production of radio/TV shows, Internet features, PR duties, endorsement of products) that bring his total compensation to just over $1.375 million per year.

A retention agreement will pay Self $225,000 annually (for five years) if he remains at KU through March 31, 2011. It's the retention agreement (once called an annuity) factored in that brings Self's contract to the $1.6 million-per-annum figure.

After next season, Self will receive a lump sum of $600,000 after taxes - a retention agreement negotiated when he first was hired by interim AD Drue Jennings.

"I'm excited for a lot of reasons," Self said Thursday. "We (he and his family) love it here at KU, love the players in the program, love the direction we're going, love the people we work with. There's certainly been a strong commitment made to the entire athletic program. Basketball has benefited greatly from that. We are very excited hopefully being a part of it at least five more years."

Self is so enthused about working at KU and for his current boss - Perkins - that his retention clause will change if Perkins leaves Mt. Oread.

"It's really not complicated. The thing is ... I am linked to Lew. If Lew is here and I leave, I get nothing (retention money). If Lew is not here, I am vested earlier (receiving the $225,000 bonus annually even if the contract isn't completed). I wanted it that way.

"I want Lew to be my athletic director. I took the job here not having an athletic director. Now that we have an athletic director I want to make sure I know who my boss is going to be."

photo

Photo by Nick Krug

KANSAS UNIVERSITY COACH BILL SELF gives a thumbs up following a victory over Kansas State. Self agreed to a five-year contract extension Thursday that takes him through the 2010-2011 season.

That is Perkins, who has always said he agreed with interim AD Jennings' choice of Self to replace Roy Williams.

"He has been great for this place," Self said of Perkins. "He has rippled waters from the first day he was hired in a lot of ways. People can look now and say, 'Wow, there have been changes made.' He has great vision for this place. He is tough enough to see through that vision."

Perkins said he was flattered Self - who could earn as much as an additional $350,000 a year if performance incentives are met - wants to work for him.

"As long as I am athletic director here he wanted to be tied to me. I take it as a compliment," Perkins said.

Self's contract in terms of guaranteed money is second in the Big 12 behind Texas coach Rick Barnes, who earns $1.8 per annum.

"I look at the whole picture," Perkins said. "Obviously we are not happy - he'll tell you he's not happy getting beat in the first round (of NCAAs the last two years). I think too much attention is based on how far you go in the NCAA. I've won national championships. I know what it takes to win national championships. A lot of it is luck, who you play, kids getting hurt.

"He's won two conference championships, coach of the year in a very short period of time. Last year he didn't have a senior class. This year no senior class. You don't necessarily just reward people. That's not what this is about. This is for the future of the program. As long as the NCAA guarantees we don't play any teams that begin with 'B' we'll be OK," he quipped of Bradley and Bucknell.

Self was asked how he'd rate his tenure thus far.

"We haven't won in the NCAA Tournament like we hoped," he said. "If you told me before we got here we'd win the Big 12 two of three years and get second the other year I'd say it's pretty good. If you tell me we lose in the first round twice, I'd say that's very poor.

"I think our staff has done a really good job recruiting and we've got great kids in the program. I don't need to give myself a grade.

"I know we're trying hard. We've got all the pieces in place to move forward. The foundation is certainly set to be solid a very long time."

Of the timing of the new contract, Self said: "I thought it was important we got it done before the season started (the parties reached agreement months ago). We knew it'd happen at the end of last year or beginning of the summer. It's something that Lew and I have been talking about a while, since last season. It took the attorneys a little bit longer than maybe we anticipated getting it done.

"If I hadn't re-signed now, we would have one year left. It's something people would definitely talk about in recruiting. When you get to the last year of a contract there will always be questions: 'Will he be back?' Certainly with this those questions should never surface."

Audio clips

2006-07 Nov. 30 Hoops presser

¢ Just a coincidence: Perkins was asked if he felt he had to pay Self more than football coach Mark Mangino, who recently signed a contract for $1.5 million a year to Self's $1.6 million.

"I don't look at it that way. I did it also by comparing it throughout the country," Perkins said of contracts of other top basketball coaches. For instance, Florida's Billy Donovan makes $1.7 million; Marquette's Tom Crean $1.65 million and Memphis' John Calipari $1.6 million.

¢ Prestigious job: Perkins said though he wants to keep Self as long as he is AD: "Don't be fooled. If Bill left for whatever reason, we'd get somebody really good. I happen to think he is as good as it comes."

¢ Sore knee: KU junior center Sasha Kaun says he's not feeling pain, but soreness in his right knee. "I trust the doctors. They say it's normal. I'm looking forward to getting stronger every day and playing better every day," Kaun said.

"Structurally he's doing great," Self said. "We may want to back off a little bit until the pain subsides."

¢ Butler returns for DePaul: The Jayhawks will meet DePaul at 1 p.m. Saturday, at Allstate Arena in suburban Chicago. DePaul, 2-4, received a reinforcement on Thursday when senior center Keith Butler was added to the team. Butler, a 7-foot-1, 255-pounder, had missed the first six games because of a violation of team policy. "He's a big-time shot blocker, a transfer from Temple," Self said."

¢ Tickets available: Tickets remain available at KU's ticket office for the KU-Toledo game set for Dec. 9 at Kemper Arena.

By Comparision

Here's a list of guaranteed money per year in contracts of Big 12 coaches, followed by some other well known coaches around the country. The totals are as printed in published reports from various media publications:

Big 12

Rick Barnes, Texas, $1.8 million; Bill Self, Kansas, $1.6 million; Bob Knight, Texas Tech, $1.1 million; Mike Anderson, Missouri, $850,000; Bob Huggins, Kansas State, $800,000; Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M, $800,000; Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State, $750,000; Ricardo Patton, Colorado, $700,000; Doc Sadler, Nebraska, $700,000; Greg McDermott, Iowa State, $650,000; Jeff Capel, Oklahoma, $650,000; Scott Drew, Baylor, private school, no information available.

OTHERS

Tubby Smith, Kentucky, $2.45 million; Billy Donovan, Florida, $1.7 million; Tom Crean, Marquette, $1.65 million; John Calipari, Memphis, $1.6 million; Kelvin Sampson, Indiana, $1.5 million; Mike Krzyzewski, Duke, $1.48 million; Rick Pitino, Louisville, $1.4 million; Roy Williams, North Carolina, $1.6 million; Herb Sendek, Arizona State, $1.3 million; Jay Wright, Villanova, $1 million; Ben Howland, UCLA, $1 million; Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh, $900,000; Mark Turgeon, Wichita State, $750,000; Dana Altman, Creighton, $700,000.

Self contract at a glance

Five years, approximately $1.6 million per year

Base salary: $220,000. Professional services: $931,400 from 2006-08 and $1,155,700 from 2008-11. Total: $1,375,700. Retention agreement pays Self $225,000 per year if he completes the contract, pushing the contract to $1.6 million annually.

Benefits: Use of two automobiles, term life insurance policy of $2 million, reasonable travel expenses of wife and children attending games outside of Lawrence, use of facilities for summer camps, athletic department receives 2 percent of net revenues; 10 tickets to each home game and six to each road game, use of scholarship suite at football stadium, membership at Alvamar and Lawrence Country Club and all green fees.

Incentives: Final Four: $100,000. NCAA title: $200,000. Big 12 regular-season title: $50,000. Big 12 Tournament title: $25,000. AP coach of the year: $50,000. Contract can be terminated if KU is found guilty of "significant or repetitive violations of NCAA regulations."

Comments

hitme (anonymous) says...

Bill Self must be related to Lew Perkins. We've been bounced out of the first game of the tournament by low seeds two years in a row. How many players have jumped ship? We're on probation; we've lost a scholarship and a grant for violations. He was an assistant for Larry Brown and can't manage a fast game. All this and Bill get a raise AND an extension?
Men's basketball loses one scholarship for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years, and will have 12 grants to give instead of 13.

Men's basketball also must restrict the number of official campus visits by eight over a two-year period. Given 12 per year, coach Bill Self now has 16 visits to use instead of 24 between now and the 2008-09 school year.

Kansas already suspended Jackson nine games last season for his violations.

Bill and Lew both need to be fired. They've brought nothing but embarrasment to this program. I used to be proud to support this program, now I feel like I have to make excuses for supporting a team coached by Bill Self

December 1, 2006 at 5:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

hitme (anonymous) says...

embarrassment - it was early

December 1, 2006 at 6:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mitch (anonymous) says...

Building a great basketball program is all about commitment. We've got a great AD and an incredible coach who is continuing to learn along with the players. Add to that the fantastic mutual relationship between the AD & coach and you get a program that can focus on basketball rather than the game of musical chairs played by many other programs. Self will get the first round blues figured out and we will all be proud. Let's trade the whiners and fair weather fans and keep the coach. Go 'Hawks!

December 1, 2006 at 6:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ohjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Keep in mind that the basketball program is on probation for stuff that the previous coach did, not for anything Coach Self has done.

December 1, 2006 at 6:38 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

carterpatterson (anonymous) says...

Let me guess "hitme", Mike Anderson is the best coach in College Basketball. I'm sure your real proud of your Tiggers.

December 1, 2006 at 6:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

DueFan (anonymous) says...

Oh Boy, 5 more years of getting bucked and more of bradley and ORU, what else?

that was a bad move by KU!

December 1, 2006 at 7:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

GIHAWK (anonymous) says...

I found it rather ironic that he gave the extension after the big win over FLorida. But Lew has complete confidence in him, so I'm okay with that...

December 1, 2006 at 8 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

hppychieffan (anonymous) says...

As the resident Curmudgeon I am surprised by all the naysayers in Jayhawk basketball land. What rock did all you " I am embarrassed" and "Bad move" commenter's come from?

Bill Self deserves the extension and the money. Yeah I too love and miss Roy, but the memory is waning fast when I see recruits like Darrel (De Real) Arthur playing , along with Collins, Chalmers and Robinson.And frankly, BS is the only Coach in the Country that will get the best out of Julian and Brandon.

Stop your whining; KU BB is one of the top 5 basketball programs in the Country. You know it could be a whole lot worse...you could be a K-State Basketball fan, player , and wonder when the lid of Huggin's head is going to come poppin off?

December 1, 2006 at 8:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

Calm down hitme, every school in the nation goes through trouble. Yes even Roy Williams does. It's not the end of the world!

December 1, 2006 at 8:54 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

fansincewilt (anonymous) says...

We may not be where we want to be according to Bill Self, but after watching the NC and Ohio State game, our defense is way ahead of theirs. We have a great coach with a great game plan. His success at the other schools was no fluke. We have a great coach and now with the apparent flow with the AD, a great situation. The Jayhawks will overtake NC in total games won in a couple of years. Maybe during Bill's tenure we'll become #1 in total games won. Williams sure looked old against Ohio State.

December 1, 2006 at 9:03 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jcsmith (anonymous) says...

I agree with hppychieffan. I don't understand why people judge a persons ability to coach a national leading team just by a few losses. Yea the losses in the first round of the last two NCAA tourney's hurt but they were one out of how many games???? And with us just beating Florida should once again reassure that underdogs can win.... Florida was picked to beat us in every poll. Yet, we were victorious. I don't agree with polls. Just because one team has talent 10 deep, does not mean they are going to win. Who prepares the most physically and mentally will usually come out on top. Look at all the top teams right now. Only 4 out of the top 10 are still undefeated. Does that mean that every coach that has lost a game already this year sucks?

I believe Bill Self has done a wonderful job here at KU. I support him fully and know that he will lead us in another great season. I agree that too many opinions are based upon NCAA tournament appearances. You can't rate a season just off one game. Look at his record here at KU. 78-25. that puts him probably around .760 area. Not bad for a coach's resume thats for sure. With an average of about .745 or so in the last 10 years. I'de say Bill Self has been real good for college basketball.

December 1, 2006 at 9:08 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

biggunz (anonymous) says...

hitme-

you don't know sh*t.

yeah 5 more years of top recruiting classes and conference titles. boy what a mistake they made. sure they lost to oru, then they beat the defending national champs and #1 team in the nation. they're young...sh*t happens.

for those of you who don't understand the game maybe you shouldn't post....you make yourselves look ignorant.

December 1, 2006 at 9:27 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

missKU (anonymous) says...

For all you people who hate Self and love Roy let me remind you that in the sixteen!!!!! years that he was here he NEVER!!! won a national championship.

Congrats Coach I hope you are for a very very long time.

Rock Chalk!

December 1, 2006 at 9:36 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

MarkyDSaad (anonymous) says...

Self is a great coach. The landscape of college basketball is shifting, but he seems to be staying ahead of the learning curve. With the shift in the NBA game style and the fact that USA basketball is not dominating the way they use to it is also shifting the way the college game is played and the kids that come in to play for programs. Also, kids are getting more ideal training at a younger age and thus we have more talent througout. There is less variance between the power houses and the mid-majors. In five years it may there may not be a mid-major argument. KU is not even close to being the only monster program to lose a game that everyone said was a gimme. Self is able to get the best out of players. He also does well to instil the team concept for all not just for the starters. I liked RW and thought he was a good coach, but I also think Self is a good coach too. Let's not be a UCLA and shoot ourselves in the foot and throw out a great coach because we want a national championship every year. Hell we are still Kansas and we are still the best program in college basketball to ever grace God's green Earth. Put the energy into supporting Self and we can all be part of the continued tradition of excellence!

December 1, 2006 at 9:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

MarkyDSaad (anonymous) says...

possibly the reason that people rely on the tournament game stats is because it is the only game they actually watch all year???

December 1, 2006 at 9:45 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lrahardja (anonymous) says...

In my opinion coach Self recruits better than any of our previous two coaches. KU never had so much talent before, 5 future NBA players, no less. We could certainly improve on game strategy and game time adjustments. Any player from the opponent team could get hot in any given night, it's up to our coaching staff to recognize it early and make quick adjustments to nullify the threat. In a single elimination tournament, this is critical.

RW has good systematic set up plays after breaks for easy baskets, we could certainly learn a lot from that. LB, on the other hand, is a great game strategist. Just take a look at the KU-OK championship game: lots of substitutions to slow down the up-tempo game OK was used to, hence neutralizing OK's advantages over KU.

December 1, 2006 at 10:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

milehighhawker (anonymous) says...

Let's remember, Ol' Roy lost in the tourney with what may have been one of the top 3 teams to ever be assembled in NCAA history to Rhode Island, remember that one...34-2. The best team doesn't always win. I think Self has done a great job with a young team and will only continue to get better. That Illinois team that almost went undefeated 2 years ago, was Self's players remember that as well. I think you can draw a comparison to this team like that team. If you are a true fan think about how that team was built and how this team is built, strong guard play and athletic big men, even a 6'6 power forward in Powell (Wright-like). This team will be special, and they wouldn't be without Self!

December 1, 2006 at 11:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jimmy_Dean (Alan Halvorsen) says...

Hey duefan, who do you sudgest that we bring in to replace Self.

While we are at it, why don't we just fire the entire Ku athletic program. Why not?

I know K-State and Mizzou would appreciate it!

December 1, 2006 at 11:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

justdoit23 (anonymous) says...

Very happy that Bill Self is here!!

I will take my chances with Self!

I mean i know we had trouble with first rounds!
But Roy went to Final four and never produced anything!

I think If Self goes to Final four, i'm sure he wont choke.

And remember Defense wins the Champship.

Current Stats:
KU(6-1) avg given away points to the opponent 54.28
UNC(5-1) avg. given away points to the opponent 74.38

December 1, 2006 at 11:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

Here we go again with all of those who disagree with self getting a raise and a new contract. Someone said it correctly earlier when they said that the idiots on here only watch Ku when the tournament comes around. Syracuse has also lost in the last 2 years of the ncaa tournament. I bet they still have all of thier nay-sayers out there saying they should fire Jim Boeheim. He is one of the best coaches and they are one of the best programs so once again, shut your mouths!

December 1, 2006 at 11:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

pitthawker (anonymous) says...

HEY! Hitme!
do you follow ku basketball closesly???
Your argument has so many holes, I laughed out loud when I read it. 1st Tons of players end up jumping ship when a coach leaves. (most of those were Roys) Secondly, the reason we are on probabtion is because of ROY! Not Bill!!! Read the investigation, the violations occured during Roys reign. Thirdly, I will take a defensive coach over a coach who runs the floor anyday. What happens if the running team has a bad shooting night? (see 2003 nat'l championship) you have nothing to fall back on! Also, yes the Bradley and Bucknell losts hurt, however that is becoming the landscape of college basketball. More and more mid-majors that have guys who have played together for 4 years are going to beat yooung and talented teams (look at the Olympics) KU is doing great with Bill Self. I truley believe he will hang a nat'l championship banner in lawrence and when he does he will be one up on the number that Roy hung while he was here. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

December 1, 2006 at 11:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kufootball19 (anonymous) says...

roy williams and AL BOHL got KU on probation. Not Self or Perkins. Self and Perkins actually prevented it from being any worse than it is. If Self gets the 16 years Roy got, he will have a championship.

December 1, 2006 at 12:10 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

anaill (anonymous) says...

Man, so much ignorance and false comments above! Read the article; this agreement was reached before the season even started.

Long live Bill and long live KU Hoops!!!

December 1, 2006 at 12:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Speicher (Danny Speicher) says...

When is this town gonna quit comparing Self to Williams? This is ridiculous. The first year, I understood the comparisons... The second year, I tolerated them... But, years three and four? We should be over Roy by now, folks and, mind you, extremely happy to see Self at the helm.

What many people don't realize is that Roy actually LOST more games than Self did the first three years of their respective KU careers as head coach. The fact of the matter is... Roy got better with time... So will Self. Self has always been (from day one) a better recruiter than Roy. He has no problem brining in legitimate talent to the team. Sure, sure... His on-court coaching presence may not be as refined as Roy's was... But, I have faith that it will get there.

Frankly, how any set of fans can complain after beating a #1 team for the first time in 12 years is beyond me. Wake up, KU Fans... Bill Self is a great coach and this year's team is a great team! If there is any coach that deserves the pay raise and contract extension (and, that is a BIG "if") it is Bill Self. Keep up the good work, coach!

--Danny Speicher

December 1, 2006 at 12:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rbw (anonymous) says...

Very disturbing and upsetting.

I'm 76 years old and I don't see a National Championship or even a final four in our future.

Which brings up a question. Why don't our University Officials honor our alumni by selecting one of them? The kid at Wichita is a heck of a coach.
And lets not forget the late great Ralph Miller. Ted Owens was picked over Ralph.

Are we a family or not?

In the picture above of Self gesturing to the crowd,
is that a finger or thumb?

December 1, 2006 at 12:54 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

cpjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Coach Williams probably gave the permission which led to the actions, which led to the violations, but it was after he had brought it before Al Bohl and the NCAA, and was under the impression that everything was permissible. So, it looks more like it was Bohl then anyone else. And also, it really should be 'Coach Williams, and Coach Self', not Ol' Roy, or RW, Bill, or any other reference like that. Unless you know them on a personal level and you are talking with them. Of course its faster to type RW, or Bill but man alive, I see some of you guys typing up comments on here everyday, 2 or 3 times a day. You ought to be able to type well enough to show some respect. Anyway, congrats to Coach Self on the extension. He and his staff and players will do a great job and represent the University of Kansas well!

December 1, 2006 at 1:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mwoodard (Matt Woodard) says...

rbw: you've left me speechless.

I don't know where to begin. I guess the best thing to do is say nothing more than this - that National Championship or Final Four that does not appear to be "in our future" has a distinct possibility of happening in April of 2007. I do not wish to sound insulting or disrespectful, so I will stop there and turn off my computer. RCJGKU

December 1, 2006 at 1:20 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Neom (anonymous) says...

Comparing to Tobby's 2.45 million, this is a steal! Look how UK did in the recent years.
And mark this, if Self left, the replacement would cost a lot more! And likely not as good.
This is like the typical Amecian firms, if you don't try hard to keep your talented people, they will leave and you will spend much more for less. Rule of thumb.

December 1, 2006 at 1:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bulldawgs (anonymous) says...

I guess the question is whether or not a basketball coach (or football coach) is worth $1.6 or $1.7 million. If so, then ok no problem. Hey Ol Roy is getting the same thing at UNC and Coach K is getting even less...UNC and Duke are the top 2 gigs right Dickie V?

Seriously, if $1.6 mil is appropriate, I have no problem with coach Self making it at KU. His Tenure here has so far been extremely successful, although as a footnote, I would ask for a little better results in the tourney...

December 1, 2006 at 1:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

We are very lucky to have Coach Self. He and Coach Williams are almost total opposites. I loved Roy's style and his ability to recruit kids to his system. He had little experience when he came to KU and became a great coach and had great teams. Bill came to KU with a tremendous coaching and recruiting background. He can out recuit old Roy anyday. Surprisingly, he has not shown the ability to motivate the team during the long season. Then again Roy's teams would often start out great and get stale about February. Self's has to figure out how to win in the NCAAs. Forget a championship for a year or two. They have not shown the heart to win when it is one (loss) and done. They have no "go too" guy and no experience to boot! Bill's salary is certainly justified when compared to Coach Mangino, but that is another story :-)!

December 1, 2006 at 1:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

turdferguson (anonymous) says...

I have said before that I think Self is a good coach and a great recruiter. I think he will win multiple championships at KU, given enough time. However, I would have liked to see the contract extension done after some postseason success this year. It would have made a lot more sense to a lot of people.

December 1, 2006 at 1:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

otislivingston (anonymous) says...

rbw,

Owens went to 2 Final Fours, Ralph went to 0.

You don't like the move b/c you don't see a final 4 in the future?

But would've rather had Miller and his 0 FF's over Owens and his 2?

Let's just hire Rex Walters, he played here, and is coachign at a mid-major team...

ridiculous.

December 1, 2006 at 1:58 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

I've been giving many speeches lately on what makes someone an idiot.

Reading Hitme's post makes it pretty crystal clear, and no explanation is necessary.

December 1, 2006 at 2:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

cobweb (anonymous) says...

This current team could finish ahead of several NBA teams. Great job of recruiting by Self. You have a few knuckleheads anywhere to deal with. As far as the second guessing and cheap shots, Coach knows it goes with the territory of a big time job.

December 1, 2006 at 2:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lrahardja (anonymous) says...

Speicher,
Actually, first year comparison is not fair. However, by the fourth year, we shall be able to see the full potential or the effectiveness. The good news is we all keep learning from previous mistakes, let's hope we go deep come to March time.

December 1, 2006 at 3:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

extrapolater (anonymous) says...

I love this move. Maybe it will shut up all of the idiots who would have us change coaches every time we lose a game. This guy will win and win big here. He's finally built the team his way, and you really can't judge anything until he has "his guys" in place.

December 1, 2006 at 3:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

BigTamale (anonymous) says...

Is Self the best X's and O's Coach in college basketball?
No, but he is young and learning the tricks of the trade.

Is there anyone else better that we can get if Self was not our coach?
NO!... I was angry when Williams left, but come to think of it he would have never gone after a recruit that UNC was targeting. Its kinda like he asked Dean for permission and we got who they didn't want. Now Roy goes after some of our targets...Hansborough, the kid from Miege, and a couple of others I can't think of. To me that made Roy a fraud...I do miss him but can't help routing against him everytime I see him on TV.

Is Self one of College BB's best recruiter?
You better believe it! Like one of the people said before me--How many titles will SELF have in 16 years time?

All-in-All, Self is the best Coach for Kansas right now and no one else would be better!!

December 1, 2006 at 3:13 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

MarkyDSaad (anonymous) says...

gotta love this forum stuff
especially since Joe Holliday's kid can get a plug in for him. How does one say that there is an argument to replace coach self (notice my correction to the respect request) with Joe Holliday? Coach Self's numbers are horrible when you compare them to Pat Summit's. We should hire her to coach out team. Maybe GA from UConn. They both have more national titles than all of the previous KU coaches combined.
If they do not win a championship in the next 2 years then I am done being a Jayhawk. I am handing back my degrees, I am quitting the job that I have because of the degrees, I am selling the house that I bought with the money from the job from the degrees from my years at KU. Of course if I had this kind of a** backwards logic I would have gone to MU or KSU in the first place. If you don't like Bill Self and they are not winning enough championships for you then feel free to support what ever team happens to win the tourney every year and get the hell our backs. Of course you might only be complaining because you have nothing to do with the time be when you have spent your welfare check and the next 30.06 days until the next one arrives.

December 1, 2006 at 3:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kcmostwanted (anonymous) says...

Well Said BigTamale

I don't know why these idiots can't see the success that Self has brought to Kansas during the regular season... and as of right now i don't think i would take anyone to Coach Kansas other than self...i mean there are great coaches (Calipari from Memphis, our ex-coach Roy, Smith from Kentucky..etc) out there but Bill fits the system and the most important thing of all is that he wants to be here....

+ the extension as they mentioned in the article, will help w/ future recruits...and that is very important for our future stars.... (we don't want to end up like Colorado or Mizzou now do we?)

December 1, 2006 at 3:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkaloogie (anonymous) says...

Regular season records means little compared to tournament performance. I don't think Perkins should have offered the extension until seeing Self's performance in this season's tournament. Just think, if we lose again in the first round, we're stuck with the same under-performing coach for another five years.

December 1, 2006 at 4:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

nveyt_truong (anonymous) says...

pleeeeeaaaaassse, There is no point in arguing about whether Self is a good coach or not. He is a lousy coach and his record shows it. Roy wasn't good either, so no point in that comparison.

Bill shouldn't have received a raise, but rather he should have been fired.

Thank you. Next issue please.

December 1, 2006 at 5:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lalawguy (anonymous) says...

Personally, I would love to see KU make it past the first round this season, but if we don't, I will never forget the feeling at last week's tournament in Vegas after knocking off the defending champs/No. 1 team! What I remember most from last year was beating Texas in the final round of the Big 12 tournament.

Is that "under-performing"? Heck, no. If we win the Big 12 regular-season title, win the Big 12 tournament, and lose in the first round again this year, will I be disappointed? Heck, yes, but I STILL won't be calling for Bill Self's job.

Being a KU basketball fan is a season-long sport. If all that some of you care about is how the team performs in March, then why should I care what you have to say during the other 11 months of the year?

December 1, 2006 at 5:28 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tdub (anonymous) says...

Let's remember that Roy's only championship came with Matt Dougherty's recruits. However, worst-elite-coach-in-the-land Bruce Weber took BS's former recruiting haul to that very same title game. I agree that Self is still learning the ropes concerning X's and O's, but if he keeps bringing in so much talent, the rings and banners will come. You all have to be patient, BS spent the first few years on the job weeding out the Roy Williams trash (Graves, Giddens, Padgett, Downs) from the team, now the real work can begin.

December 1, 2006 at 6:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

gammimc (anonymous) says...

Now, if we can just get Bill to crap-can that dumb hi-low style of play and let these young whippets run up and down the floor, we'll do just fine.

We've already seen how Julian Wright can stand up to the likes of Joakim Noah and others. The talent is there, tell them to let their hair down and play KU ball!

But, he still also needs to understand that the two one-and-outs in the NCAA, and the ORU thing, had better be an exception and not a rule.

December 1, 2006 at 7:03 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kstrebor (anonymous) says...

Balls... How many of you haters read the article? The CEO and CFO of the company I work for get Millions in bounses each year and perks that make Self look like a rank amature. These guys do dick and make more money then god. All Bill has to do is get a bunch of puberty ridden ball players to keep going to school, get good grades, be role models to young kids, and oh yeah, win a large percentage of games. He has done so without throwing any chairs, choking, or hitting any of them. You have to loose a few games to appreciate the wins. Congrats Bill you deserve it, keep up the great job.

December 1, 2006 at 9:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

trollkiller (anonymous) says...

I guess you missed the strategic planning meeting. The goal is to hit stride on March 13th and peak in a final season-ending game on Apr. 2. It's about results, not the journey. The things you mentioned are minimum expectancies, not accomplishments. Hope this helps you get out of the mailroom.

December 1, 2006 at 10:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

trollkiller (anonymous) says...

PS: At any company that is results-oriented, Bill would have been fired not rewarded for his poor results.

December 1, 2006 at 10:59 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

justdoit23 (anonymous) says...

Hey rbw!! a.k.a a 76 yr old dude!!

That is a Thumb!!!

Get your eyes checked up or get a binoculars or something!!!!

damm can't believe some ppl!!

December 2, 2006 at 12:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...

There is not a better person for the Job than coach Bill Self. I wonder where all of these critics work, and wonder where they are on the food chain. It's always easy to critisize, but it is also very difficult to work your way to the top. Have you made it to the top, or are you one of the many who would prefer to stand by and critisize? It reminds me of the guys on the curb in the movie Say Anything, as they sit on the curb being the losers that they are: "we are here by choice". All of you complainers are a joke. Go find something else to complain about. The last time I was in Allen Field House I saw banners hanging for Big 12 championships. Seems to me that those seem to be fairly important, so Coach must be doing something right since he has been able to add to these. Great Job Coach! Keep up the good work!

December 2, 2006 at 1:09 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...

By the way, who won that match-up between KU and Illinois in the tourney in 01? Was it the run and gun of KU or the Solid Defense and Good offense of Illinois? Bills boys beat KU 80-64. I wonder who made the right adjustments, and had the right gameplan that night? It wasn't Roy. Seems to me that Coach Self must know something.

December 2, 2006 at 1:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Purell (anonymous) says...

Has anyone heard who our new coach is going to be? I hope he's a good one this time!

December 2, 2006 at 10:21 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

rewood (anonymous) says...

Self is a great recruiter, but just so-so with the x's & o's. I wish KU had hired Mark Turgeon at WSU, a team KU's been afraid to play for several years.

December 2, 2006 at 3:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkaloogie (anonymous) says...

Hey justdoit:
I think rbw was asking a rhetorical question about the thumb.

December 2, 2006 at 5:44 p.m. ( | suggest removal )