Bill Self (born December 27, 1962 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma) is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, one of the most storied progams in men's college basketball history. Self is 46-13 in his second season at KU and 247-115 (.682) in his 12th season overall and 13-6 in NCAA tourney play. Last year, KU posted a 24-9 record and finished tied for second in the Big 12 race at 12-4. In his first season at Kansas Self lead the Jayhawks to the Elite Eight at the NCAA tournament. He replaced Roy Williams, who left KU to be the head coach at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2002.

He played collegiate basketball at Oklahoma State University, where he was a four-year letterwinner between 1982 and 1985 and was an All-Big Eight freshman selection in 1982. He received his bachelor's degree in business in 1985 and a master's degree in athletic administration in 1989, both from Oklahoma State University.

He is a four-time finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003), and was named National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News in 2000.

Collegiate coaching history

Self spent the 1985-1986 season on Larry Brown's coaching staff at the University of Kansas. Between 1986 and 1993, Self was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University under Leonard Hamilton , then Eddie Sutton.

After Oral Roberts University, in the 1992-1993 season, compiled its worst record, 5-22, in its history, Self was hired as head coach of ORU. In his first season at ORU, the team managed just six victories. Things improved slightly the following year when ORU won ten games. In Self's third season at the helm, he guided the Golden Eagles to an 18-9 record. And in his fourth season, ORU registered a 21-7 record as the school made its first post season tournament appearance since 1983-1984 in the National Invitation Tournament.

Self soon left Oral Roberts for the University of Tulsa and spent three seasons, 1998 to 2000, there and recorded a respectable 74-27. While at TU, he made two NCAA tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000. In 2000, TU went 32-5, setting a school single-season record for victories, as well as sending the Golden Hurricans to the Elite Eight.

The University of Illinois hired Self, where he led that school to a 78-24 record over three seasons. In those three seasons, his teams achieved two Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten tournament title, and three straight NCAA tournament appearances.

External links

• Kansas University Men's Basketball