Bill Self has been the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks college basketball program since 2003-04. Self has led the Jayhawks to three Final Four appearances and two National Championships in that span. As a result, the Jayhawks have rewarded him for his efforts and dedication to the program by giving him a lifetime contract that makes him the highest-paid basketball coach in the country.
Self will make $53 million over the next five years, surpassing Kentucky’s John Calipari salary of $44 million over the next five years, per ESPN. Kansas released a statement regarding the news on Tuesday.
“Bill Self is undoubtedly the most consistent coach in college basketball, and a restructuring of his contract terms were long overdue,” said Travis Goff, Kansas’ athletic director. “Over his 20 years at KU, our men’s basketball program has been a primary source of positive alumni engagement, strong university enrollment, and revenue that has helped fund all other Kansas Athletics programs…” Goff added.
During his time at Kansas, Self has a 581-132 record. For his career, Self has 788 combined wins as a head coach, which ranks 15th on the all-time wins list for Division 1 college basketball coaches.
The two-time AP Coach of the Year Award winner has helped produce numerous NBA-level prospects as the head coach of Kansas, showcasing his leadership and developmental qualities.
The Jayhawks enter the 2023-24 as the No. 1-ranked team in the AP Top 25 rankings and will look to return to the NCAA Championship for the first time since they won it in 2021-22.
