Self says Oklahoma State is in the past
Kansas coach says rumors about leaving for big money contract not worrying him
Rumors that Oklahoma State is prepared to offer Bill Self a $6 million signing bonus with a $3.5 million contract is not worrying Self.
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Photo by Caleb Sommerville
Head coach Bill Self answers questions from the press after the pep rally Tuesday. This was Self's first NCAA National Championship title.
SAN ANTONIO — The call came at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, 45 minutes after Bill Self fell asleep.
The voice on the other end was none other than President George W. Bush. He talked to Self about the championship and invited the team to visit the White House sometime in the next month.
“He was great,” Self said.
If Self stays, the team is still unlikely to be whole next season. Five seniors will be gone for sure, and it’s likely that three underclassmen could leave early for the NBA Draft: Juniors Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush and sophomore Darrell Arthur. Yahoo Sports already reported that two sources close to Rush said he already decided he was going pro. There haven’t been any announcements about Arthur or Chalmers. “If that happens then that happens,” Self said about players leaving early. “I want to do what’s best for the families. We have a couple guys, maybe three that have an opportunity to go do something.” Rush is projected to go anywhere from the middle of the first round to the early second round. Arthur could go as high as the late lottery or as low as the late first round. Chalmers has been projected as a late first round pick, but his stock is almost certain to rise after being named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Unfortunately for Self, Bush was about the only person wanting to discuss Monday night’s victory against Memphis. An hour after the conversation with the president, Self got grilled with questions about the Oklahoma State coaching vacancy and the rumored money being offered from booster T. Boone Pickens. Just as he has several times in the past week, Self said he hadn’t been contacted about the job.
“I still to this day don’t see myself as a viable candidate for this position,” Self said. “And that’s if they even call.”
The Tulsa World reported that with Pickens’ money Oklahoma State was prepared to offer a $6 million signing bonus to Self and a contract that would pay him $3.5 million a year.
“If they called, I would answer the phone,” Self said. “I certainly wouldn’t answer the phone unless Kansas knew what was going on.”
In the next few days, Self plans to meet with Athletic Directors Lew Perkins to discuss his contract, which pays him $1.375 million per year for the next three years. A meeting with Perkins after the season has been the plan since the start of the year.
With a National Championship on his resume and an ongoing courtship from a rich suitor, you’d have to think Self would have all the leverage in the world in those negotiations. He doesn’t see it like that. Self just hopes for an extension.
When he played at Oklahoma State in the early 80s and worked as an assistant for seven years, Self wondered what it would be like to coach his alma mater. Those dreams were in the past though. Self said he hasn’t thought about the Cowboys for a long time.
“I have the best job,” Self said. “I have tradition, and I love the people I work with. My family is happy. I’m not evaluating anything else.”
Especially now. Self has thought about the NBA in the past, in addition to Oklahoma State, but not anymore. Three events happened this year that he said strengthened his ties to Kansas – the 110 year reunion in February, Senior Night with his first senior class at any of his coaching stops and, of course, the National Championship.
He’s going to enjoy celebrating that accomplishment, regardless of the all the talk about Oklahoma State.
“It’s not hanging over my head,” Self said. “It hasn’t been a distraction in the least and I’m not going to allow it to worry me.”
—Edited by Russell Davies
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