Ranking Bill Self’s best coaching jobs during 11-year Big 12 title run
photo by: Thad Allender
Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.
No need to look at the calendar to check the month. Kansas University basketball fans will remind you by saying what they say annually in early March. “You know,” they start, “I think this is Bill Self’s best coaching job yet.”
Since that’s such a hot topic, I decided to take a stab at ranking Self’s most impressive coaching jobs during this run of 11 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles. Naturally, because the NCAA tournament hasn’t been played yet, the ranking for this season is subject to change. I released one every 15 minutes, starting at No. 11 and working my way down to No. 1.
I thought it would be a fun exercise because it really is amazing how often someone will express the sentiment that “this is Self’s best coaching job yet,” at this time of year.
The truth, of course, is that it requires a strong coaching job to win one Big 12 title and to do it 11 times without interruption is mind-blowing.
Self’s intelligence, the ability to read people and find the right means of getting the most out of each individual, his direct nature and 100 percent confidence that his way is the right way, combine to make him a coach who is able to construct a roster, coach it up and win back-to-back titles.
I would be interested to know how others would rank the job he did in coaching each of the 11 Big 12 title teams.
Tom Keegan’s Rankings of Bill Self’s best coaching jobs in the last 11 years: