Self: New KU contract ‘generous,’ built for long haul

By Gary Bedore     Sep 30, 2012

Bill Self says he has no idea if stability in Kansas University’s basketball program will assist him in the pursuit of high school players.

“I don’t know if this helps recruiting or not. I still had six years left (on his old contract),” Self told the Journal-World on Friday after agreeing to a restructured contract that will provide him $53.32 million over a whopping 10 years.

“I think it’s very generous. I think it’s great. Whether it helps recruiting or not, I don’t know because I feel like that is not something I’ll talk about in the homes.”

It’s a contract designed in part to entice Self to stick around. The 49-year-old, 10th-year Jayhawk coach would receive a lump sum of $6 million if he remains through March 2022.

“I need to stay the entire length of the contract to receive the major benefit of it,” Self said, adding, “it’s one of those things, obviously, if I’m not doing a good job they can terminate it and everything. I hope we can continue the same way we’ve been going, even surpass what we’ve done (eight straight Big 12 titles; one national title; one NCAA runner-up finish). I’m excited about this year’s team and the possibility of having one of the better recruiting classes we’ve had.”

Self — he has received commitments from No. 22-ranked Brannen Greene and No. 28-rated Conner Frankamp, with three scholarships still available — said he’s as happy as he could possibly be entering season No. 10 at KU.

“Cindy (wife) and I love it here. Both our kids are going to graduate from Kansas, hopefully, if my son can get through,” Self joked of freshman Tyler Self. Daughter Lauren is starting her senior year at KU. “We love it here. I don’t know if it is better than I thought because I thought it was great before I got here,” added Self, who replaced Roy Williams 10 seasons ago after working three years at the University of Illinois. “The way we’ve been treated and the success we’ve had has been absolutely fabulous.”

Contract tidbits: ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell did some numbers crunching and revealed that Self will make $14,978 a day if he remains KU coach through the 2021-22 season. … Self is provided 10 tickets to each home game and six tickets to each away game at no cost for allocation at his discretion. The contract states that KU “allots at least 100 tickets to the men’s basketball program for each home game in the following categories: high school recruits, high school coaches, former players, coaches or managers and business and community relations. These tickets shall be provided to the men’s basketball program and shall not be for the personal use of the head coach or the assistant coaches. As tickets for business-related purposes they shall not be taxable to the head coach.” … Self also “receives 100 percent of athletics’ royalty payments from the sale of in-store retail merchandise sold by KUStore.com during the month of June, including the two Sunday basketball camp registrations days in June, and including dorm sales held during the two weeks of summer basketball camp in June. He also receives l00 percent of the royalty payment from the total of in-store sales during the one-day holiday clinic held over the Christmas break or as otherwise determined by the parties. Royalty payments are not calculated on sales of excluded merchandise (sales to employees, team or autograph balls, consigned items, or items sold at a discount of 25 percent or more).”

Happy AD: KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger was happy to add four years to Self’s current contract.

“Where else do you go to find a coach in the modern era that’s won eight conference championships in a row, much less in the Big 12, which is highly competitive?” Zenger asked.

Mason to visit later: Frank Mason, a 5-11 senior point guard from Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va., is not visiting KU this weekend as originally planned, Rivals.com reports. Mason said he likely will visit next weekend. The No. 131-ranked Mason is considering KU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and others.

Leave him alone: Future KU player Brannen Greene, a 6-7 senior forward from Tift County High in Tifton, Ga., tells SI.com that some unnamed schools are still trying to recruit him. However, he remains solidly committed to KU.

“It’s crazy,” said Greene. I’m always thinking in the back of my mind ‘You do know I’m committed, right?’ They want to know if I’m still open to their schools, but even though I say I’m not they keep coming.”

Added Greene’s father, Jeffrey to SI.com: “It used to shock me, but not anymore. After a while you get immune to it.”

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