Did Bill Self play basketball? Exploring Kansas HC's playing days
Four points were all the difference coach Bill Self’s Kansas needed to proceed to the NCAA Tournament second round, beating Samford 93-89 in a heated contest on Thursday. The Jayhawks will hope for an easier game Saturday as they face Gonzaga. It has not been Self’s best season as coach of the Jayhawks. But he is not new to challenging seasons like this. One of the things coaches fall back on in situations like this is their playing experience. Does Bill Self have one?
Did Bill Self play basketball?
Bill Self did play basketball. He was an outstanding hoops player both at high school and collegiate levels. He attended Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. As a member of the school’s basketball team, Self was named Oklahoma High School Basketball Player of the Year in 1981.
He committed to Oklahoma State University to play basketball and enrolled in 1981. Self was a letterman all through his time playing for the Cowboys. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the school in 1985. In 1989, he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Oklahoma State.
Exploring Bill Self’s coaching career
Self went straight into coaching, first serving as assistant to Larry Brown in Kansas and then working under Leonard Hamilton and Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State. He was hired by the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in 1993. He took them to the National Invitational Tournament in 1997, their first postseason tournament since 1984.
Self gained recognition for his incredible effort at Oral Roberts and was hired by the school’s cross-town rivals, Tulsa, in 1998. His 74-27 record at Tulsa remains the best in the school’s history. In 1999 and 2000, he led the team to two straight NCAA Tournament berths, reaching the Elite Eight in 2000.
Self’s incredible coaching abilities meant that Tulsa could not hold on to him for long. Illinois hired him in 2000, and his first season saw him lead the Fighting Illini to a shared Big Ten title and an Elite Eight finish in the NCAA Tournament. Self followed this up with Sweet 16 and second-round eliminations in 2002 and 2003.
Destiny brought Self to Kansas after Jayhawks coach Roy Williams resigned following his national championship game loss to Syracuse. In 20 seasons, Self has written his name in gold in the annals of Kansas basketball. Notwithstanding the result his team comes away with today, his credentials as a Kansas legend are intact.
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