LJWorld.com

Bill Self's new contract as head of the Kansas basketball program will probably pay him around $3 million annually along with innumerable perks, bonuses and such. If Bill's not already set for life, he will be soon.

Some might assay that amalgamation of loot and think they'd love such a deal. Few could handle it.

Even if you think Self is overcompensated, consider what he has to do to fill in the squares to create those enormous paychecks.

First off, he has to be a sterling recruiter who can coach and win a lot of games. Time was when that was enough, when guys like Kentucky's Adolph Rupp, via Kansas, could wheel and deal and travel their own courses of self-aggrandizement without much outside interference. Not anymore.

Consider the other drains on the time, talents, character and courage of Self - and others like Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski. They have to keep their staffs contented, make sure the athletic director is on board and that the school's president or chancellor concurs with their courses of action.

Then there are the supporters, alumni and ersatz faithful, who won't hold still for a losing streak of more than one game.

There are alumni gatherings year around, and there are major bashes like that fundraiser at the auto track to raise money for Self's program to aid needy kids. There's always something that Bill has to help with or attend. When he's not toadying up to the big cigars, he has to make sure he's keeping in touch with as many blue-chip cagers as possible, letting them know they're wanted and will benefit from coming here. And keep it clean!

Most of the recruits and their families are decent people. Then there are those stage mothers and helicopter-hovering dads who make recruiting hell, even if their kids are embarrassed about their interventions. Just a few such apples can really sour this barrel.

So you sign the kids, guide them along the paths of academia, keep them healthy and advise them on personal matters. That can work for the Sasha Kauns, Russell Robinsons and Darnell Jacksons, but there are the J.R. Giddens and C.J. Giles fiascos, Brandon Rush's failure to handle traffic violations adult-wise and Sherron Collins getting snarled up in a sexual harassment case. It's always somethin'.

The job is a bottomless pit of demands, responsibility and public image, where Self is on the clock 24-7. When can he ever have a few hours for his wife and kids without somebody butting in, be the reasons fair or foul? Self has a squad of 15 to 20 kids who can find ingenious ways to swerve and sway.

How in the heck can Self always manage to exude the charm and poise that he exhibits, at least to the public? Even control freak Roy Williams had his childish moments when he seemed less than iconic. Can't recall Self ever seriously wandering into the thicket of peevishness as Roy could do.

And, of course, there always are the voracious, probing scribes and throats of the media to deal with.

Think you could handle all that so well, even at $5 million per, or even $10 mil? Would you even dare to try?