AP PhotoIt didn’t take long to fill the men’s basketball coaching vacancy at Kansas University.
Today — just seven days after Roy Williams was introduced as head coach at North Carolina — Bill Self will be formally introduced as the eighth coach in KU history. The official announcement will be made at a 1 p.m. news conference at KU’s Hadl Auditorium.
The 40-year-old Self, who was targeted as KU frontrunner immediately after Williams announced plans to return to his alma mater, has agreed to a five-year contract worth $1.1 million per year, sources have told the Journal-World.
KU also must pay a $500,000 contract buyout to the University of Illinois to land the rights to former Oklahoma State player Self, who served as a graduate assistant on Larry Brown’s 1985-86 Kansas basketball staff.
Self met Sunday afternoon with several KU coaches, athletic department officials and KU Athletic Corp. board members at a buffet at Allen Fieldhouse. He had flown from Champaign, Ill., arriving at 2:15 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Municipal Airport on a Citation private jet with Illinois assistant Norm Roberts, wife Cindy, son Tyler and daughter Lauren. KU interim athletic director Drue Jennings also was onboard.
Self met with the Jayhawk players at 9 p.m. Sunday but was not available for comment when, for the second time in the day, security personnel booted the media out of Parrott Athletic Center.
“It’s his program now,” KU sophomore guard Keith Langford said after the team meeting, confirming the hiring of the new coach. “I’m going to enjoy playing for him, and that’s the bottom line.”
Illinois tennis coach Craig Tiley, a close friend of Self’s, said the coach agonized about the decision to take the KU job.
“I think the reason he made the decision he did was the emotion of Kansas basketball and the tradition there,” Tiley said. “He has friends at Kansas and in the Kansas program. I think it’s what ended up attracting him to the job.”
Yes, it was a rough decision for Self, who has moved a lot early in his career. He served as head coach at Oral Roberts four years, Tulsa three years and Illinois three years.
“I talked to him last night and told him, ‘Just use your instincts. They’ve always been good,” said Tulsa head coach John Phillips, an assistant under Self at both Oral Roberts and Tulsa.
“He’s one of those people good things happen to. He was hesitant to leave. This is probably his last move, and he didn’t want to make a mistake. I’m happy for Bill and Cindy. They are perfect for Kansas.”
Self, who made his final decision Saturday night and was able to reach all but two of his players by phone before calling all of U of I’s signees, has the reputation of a solid family man and regular guy. He is said to exhibit few signs of ego in dealing with the public and media.
“He makes friends very easily,” Phillips said. “He is not a phony in any way. He has friends in all walks of life. He can talk to people from all walks of life. He speaks in front of boosters. He will talk to the president and to the janitor, and everybody feels good about it.
“He is driven to be successful, confident. He knows the X’s and O’s. He can recruit and talk with people from all walks of life,” Phillips added.
San Antonio Spurs’ general manager R.C. Buford, who also worked for Brown at KU, has known Self since the pair’s college days at Oklahoma State.
“He’ll be as good as there is in the country,” Buford said. “His personality fits (KU). His values fit. He’s proven himself as a coach at several different opportunities. This is the ultimate opportunity for him.
“It would be a big surprise to me if the players don’t really enjoy playing for him,” Buford added. “Give them two meetings with him, and they’ll be eating out of the palms of his hand. His sincerity is overwhelming.”
Former Jayhawk Kevin Pritchard, who would be a likely candidate to join Self’s staff if any of his three assistants — Roberts, Tim Jankovich or Wayne McClain — decide not to come to KU, believes Self is a great choice.
“I think he’s awesome,” Pritchard said of Self, who went 78-24 in three seasons at Illinois and led the team to the NCAA Tournament each year, reaching the 2001 Elite Eight. His teams shared the Big Ten regular-season title in 2001 and 2002. This season, the Illini finished second in the league but won the conference tournament.
“I think he’s a good choice. He was early on the administration’s No. 1 choice. They went after him, and they deserve credit. They got it done,” Pritchard added.
It is believed Illinois made no counteroffer to try to keep Self. The Illini had given the coach a five-year contract extension in December worth $900,000 a season.
Illinois AD Ron Guenther had no comment Sunday.
“I’m not sure you could print his (Guenther’s) statement at this point,” sports information director Kent Brown told The Chicago Tribune.
As to why KU didn’t make it official and have a press conference Sunday, associate athletic director/communications Doug Vance said: “It wouldn’t be appropriate to do something like that on Easter Sunday.”
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