Bill Self told KU football players they can build something special

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Bill Self applauds the Jayhawks as they widen their lead during the second half on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

At the beginning of the month, when the Kansas football team reported to Lawrence for preseason camp, David Beaty invited another head coach on campus to give the Jayhawks a pep talk.

Behind closed doors, KU basketball coach Bill Self didn’t gloss over the football program’s struggles. He instead referenced the present as a place to start assembling a product that will make Kansas fans proud.

We know this now thanks to Time Warner Cable Sports Channel – Kansas City, which tweeted out a video of Self’s speech Thursday morning.

While Self hailed the importance of the football players being a part of the “Jayhawk family” he also informed them that he and the rest of the basketball program want to see them succeed.

“Get this in your head: We want you to
win and win big,” Self said.

The way the 14th-year KU hoops coach explained it, the university’s storied basketball program has reached a place where their jobs as players and coaches are pretty obvious, and they’re constantly trying to match their historical predecessors.

“I’m never gonna be the best coach
ever here,” Self told the KU football
team. “Phog Allen coached here. And
whoever we recruit is never gonna be
the best player that ever played here.
Hell, Wilt (Chamberlain) played here,
OK.

“Our job is to maintain,” he
continued. “You know what your job is?
To build.”

While the first season under Beaty didn’t produce a victory, Self asked the players whether that difficult fall also served as the starting line for establishing a new culture.

“Now, deep in your core, if you’re
worth your salt at all, would it mean
more to you to be a builder or a
maintainer? Think about it,” Self
said. “Being a builder means maybe
going 0-12 your first year, ’cause you
don’t have as many bullets, all right?
But being a builder is developing a
culture. How are you gonna work? How
responsible are you gonna be? How hard
are you gonna study film? How good of
leadership you’re gonna have. Are we
gonna pick each other up? How good a
teammate you’re gonna be. That’s the
culture. That’s how you have a
program.”

Before wishing the Jayhawks luck in the coming months, Self rattled off some of the universities where basketball and football have had great success, referencing Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida and Michigan State. Then the basketball coach reminded the players it wasn’t that long ago that KU football was great, too.

“That means it can be done again. You
guys agree?” Self asked. “There’s been
some brothers pave the way before, OK.
Now you’ll get to pave the way for
future teams coming.”

If the players in the football program now can lay the groundwork for another successful run like Kansas experienced with Todd Reesing, Aqib Talib, Mark Mangino and company, Self said they too will be “remembered forever” and understand what it’s like to be a part of the “Jayhawk family.”

— Watch TWC Sports Channel KC’s entire video below.