Travis Goff explains why Kansas felt Bill Self's amended contract was needed

Bill Self is synonymous with Kansas and, after the news this week, that won’t be changing after the Hall of Famer signed a newly amended contract.

On Tuesday, Jayhawk AD Travis Goff addressed the decision to sign and extend Self following Kansas’ 99-56 win in their season opener. He pointed to Self’s overall resume as one of the school and athletic department’s only necessary justifications as to why he is now the sport’s newest highest-paid coach.

“Well, the proof is in the pudding,” said Goff. “I mean, literally, we’re talking about the most consistent, most successful coach in modern basketball. For a number of reasons, I didn’t feel like, and the chancellor didn’t feel like, his contract was necessarily reflective of that.”

It’s not just his impact on basketball inside of Allen Fieldhouse, though. As Goff pointed out, his effect on the university and Lawrence as a whole also made this a valid investment.

“You guys know what he and this program have meant to the University of Kansas. It extends far beyond the hardwood,” explained Goff. “You think about enrollment? Years and years and years of impact and driving students to KU. Expanding the brand of what the Jayhawk means globally? Alumni engagement and all the impacts that that has for KU and our work with our alumni to be engaged, to be supportive, to be involved? The academic profile? I mean you can go on and on.”

“You’ve got to take those things into account when you’re talking about a contract,” Goff said. “You’re talking about compensation and a total package for somebody that has done something that, frankly, I think is unprecedented in college basketball.

With 581 wins, Self is just a few victories away from passing Phog Allen as the program’s all-time wins leaders. He has also won half of the school’s national titles in a run of cemented success in every facet.

That’s why, with this new deal, Goff is hoping they’ve officially given Self what he’s worth. He also desires that this will make him a Jayhawk from now until he decides to hang it up.

“That, to me, is what this contract reflects,” said Goff. “It reflects having the best coach in college basketball at the helm. And, not necessarily insuring, but, maybe, it’s viewed as cementing him to finish his career right here at Kansas.”

Self shares feelings on amended contract with Kansas

Kansas recently made Bill Self the richest head coach in the sport. For The Jayhawks’ headman, though, when it came to the extension? His thought process was different than most others.

During a recent press conference, Self revealed how long he and the university were in talks about the extension and whether or not he felt good about it.

“Yeah, Travis could probably address everything a lot better than me. But we’ve been in discussion about this since the end of last season,” said Self.

“I felt good about it. It would’ve been fine if it was done in September, or July, or June, or whenever. I have learned over time that when numerous attorneys are involved, sometimes things don’t move as quickly as what they’d normally wish they could in some ways. But I was happy that it was done because we’ve been talking about it for quite a while.”