Jayhawks' Self scores 10-year, $30 million contract

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bill Self, the Kansas basketball coach who guided the Jayhawks to their first NCAA championship in 20 years, signed a 10-year, $30 million contract Wednesday.

The deal had been in the works since April, when Self's Jayhawks came from nine points down in the final minutes to beat Memphis in a thrilling title game and he subsequently turned down an offer to return to Oklahoma State, his alma mater.

Kansas and Self, 45, said in April he had agreed to the deal while the details were worked on. Kansas also agreed to big raises for his staff as well as improvements on the school's basketball facilities.

"This will take me to 55 if both parties want to continue, which hopefully will happen," Self said in a phone interview with the Associated Press while playing golf at Pine Valley in New Jersey. "I like to think I'll still want to keep coaching when I get to 55. But if we continue to do our job, this will get us close."

This summer, Kansas opened a new $31 million football complex. Improvements to Allen Fieldhouse and other facilities, including basketball training rooms and locker rooms, are expected to be in the same neighborhood.

"It turned out pretty well. I'm very happy," Self said. "But I'm looking at it as 10 one-year contracts."

Bill Self: 'I'm looking at it as 10 one-year contracts.' (US Presswire)

Self's prior contract paid him an annual total of $1.61 million and had three years remaining. The new deal is retroactive to April 1.

Coaches' contracts are difficult to compare because they all contain various clauses, incentives and private money donated by boosters. Florida's Billy Donovan is thought to be the highest-salaried basketball coach at about $3.5 million.

Under Self's new contract, his salary will remain at $229,900. But the package will include an annual payment of $2,270,100 in private money for "professional services" and other incentives.

Athletic director Lew Perkins said the contract was easy to work out.

"I wouldn't even use the word 'negotiate,'" Perkins said. "The entire process was positive from day one. We didn't squabble over anything."

Self said he and Perkins saw eye to eye from the outset.

"When we first sat down to talk, Lew asked me, 'How many years do you want?' I said 10 and he said, 'Perfect, that's what I had in mind. We're going to take care of you,'" Self said. "There was no negotiating on my part, either. I can't think of any place I'd rather work or live."