Bill Self signs new lifetime deal with Kansas, reportedly highest paid college basketball coach

Bill Self reportedly signed a new amended five-year rolling contract with Kansas to make him the highest paid coach in the country, according to a release from the program.

“Naismith Hall of Fame Member Bill Self, one of just nine coaches all-time with 700-plus wins and multiple national championships, has signed an amended contract with the University of Kansas, Director of Athletics Travis Goff announced today,” the release stated.

Jeff Goodman reported it’s a five-year amended deal. USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz reported the financial figures coming to Self’s contract.

“Kansas announces new contract with men’s basketball coach Bill Self that will pay him $9.44 million in its first year,” he wrote on Twitter. “That will make Self the highest-paid basketball coach ever at a public university. He surpasses Kentucky’s John Calipari, who is set to make $8.5M this season …

“Self made $5.67 million from KU last season. This new deal — which maintains a 5-year, rolling contract term — increases the buyout he would get in case of termination w/o cause to $23.1 million (up from $5.41 million). Document shows he was repped for this deal by Bret Just.”

Self is coming off a 24-8 season after winning the national title with Kansas in 2022. The coach and program also avoided major penalties with the conclusion of an NCAA infractions case back in October.

As it stands now, Self and Kansas will look to get back to the NCAA Tournament and win another title.

Bill Self, Kansas avoid penalties in infractions case

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Review Process (IARP) concluded that the five Level I allegations against the program ultimately did not rise to that standard.

As a result, the IARP doled out a three-year probation for Kansas that will not include any postseason prohibitions. Moreover, coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend both avoided a show-cause penalty.

Kansas will have to vacate all wins in which Silvio De Sousa played in during the 2017-18 campaign, a total of 15. The program must also vacate its wins from the NCAA Tournament that year, with the program no longer able to recognize a Final Four appearance. A Big 12 Tournament title was also vacated.

The Jayhawks already imposed a four-game suspension for both Self and Townsend at the start of the 2022-23 season.

The program also self-imposed recruiting restrictions, which started in 2022 when Self and Townsend took themselves off the recruiting trail for four months this spring and summer (April through July 2022). The Jayhawks also took away four official visits during the 2022-23 academic year and in 2023-24, along with three total scholarships in men’s basketball over the next three years.

Kansas implemented a six-week ban on recruiting communications, a six-week ban on unofficial visits and a thirteen-day reduction in the number of permissible recruiting days during the 2022-23 calendar year. The Jayhawks also chose to not host any official visitors for Late Night in the Phog back in October 2022.