Both Bill Self and Roy Williams make list of top tourney coaches since bracket expansion

By Staff Feb 25, 2015

Flanked by their national championship trophies, Kansas coach Bill Self, left, Sasha Kaun, center, and Russell Robinson bask in the spotlight the morning after beating Memphis for the national championship in San Antonio.

With March just four days away, the SportingNews.com’s Michael DeCourcy rolled out [a list of “Tourney All-Stars,” ranking the top 15 college hoops coaches in the expanded bracket era][1].

To make it clear, the list only includes the postseason accomplishments of coaches since the 1984-85 tourney, when the field expanded to 64 teams.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self makes an appearance on the list at No. 11. Self, of course, has guided KU to a pair of Final Fours, in 2008 and 2012, and his ’08 team captured the program’s first national championship in 20 years.

The former Tulsa and Illinois coach has compiled an NCAA Tournament record of 36-15. Here’s what DeCourcy had to say about Self landing at No. 11 on the Top-15 list:

> “When a list such as this is compiled
> in another 10 years, it’s likely Self
> will be closer to the top five. Funny
> thing: When his Jayhawks at last broke
> through his alleged “barrier”, it was
> to get past the Elite Eight (four
> prior visits) and into the Final Four.
> Can you imagine that – that some
> consider getting to the Elite Eight
> all the time some sort of affliction?”

Roy Williams argues a traveling call on Kirk Hinrich in the first half.

One of the 10 coaches ranked ahead of Self is his predecessor at Kansas, Roy Williams. The North Carolina coach has a pair of UNC championships on his résumé, and seven Final Four appearances, between his time at KU and UNC.

His NCAA Tournament record sits at 63-22.

SportingNews.com’s Top Expanded Bracket Era Coaches
—————————————-

**No. 1: Mike Krzyzewski** — Duke

**No. 2: Jim Calhoun** — Connecticut and Northeastern

**No. 3: Roy Williams** — North Carolina and Kansas

**No. 4: Rick Pitino –** Louisville, Providence and Kentucky

**No. 5: John Calipari** — Kentucky, UMass and Memphis

**No. 6: Dean Smith** — North Carolina

**No. 7: Billy Donovan** — Florida

**No. 8: Tom Izzo** — Michigan State

**No. 9: Jerry Tarkanian** — UNLV

**No. 10: Nolan Richardson** — Arkansas and Tulsa

**No. 11: Bill Self** — Kansas, Tulsa and Illinois

*– See who else made the top-15 cut at [SportingNews.com][2].*

[1]: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2015-02-24/top-15-best-coaches-college-basketball-ncaa-tournament-records-final-fours/
[2]: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2015-02-24/top-15-best-coaches-college-basketball-ncaa-tournament-records-final-fours/