Quick Return: Self-Worth Shown by Coaches Earning #1 Seeds in First Year
Bill Self, who secured a contract extension with Kansas to become among the six active coaches with a pact through 2021-22, managed one of his principal achievements at his previous job. He became the only coach in NCAA history to reach an NCAA Division I Tournament regional final in back-to-back years with different schools (Tulsa in 2000 and Illinois in 2001). Self is among the following five immediate-success coaches who paid dividends right away, guiding their schools to a #1 seed in their first year at the helm of the program:
| Coach | School | Year (Regional) | What Happened in NCAA Playoffs? | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Hodges | Indiana State | 1979 (Midwest) | Lost in national final. | Bob King |
| Eddie Sutton | Kentucky | 1986 (Southeast) | Lost in regional final. | Joe B. Hall |
| Bill Guthridge | North Carolina | 1998 (East) | Lost in national semifinal. | Dean Smith |
| Bill Self | Illinois | 2001 (Midwest) | Lost in regional final. | Lon Kruger |
| John Calipari | Kentucky | 2010 (East) | Lost in regional final. | Billy Gillispie |
In an economic climate where colleges should be practicing some restraint, they are instead immersed in an arms race throwing money around like the government. No wonder coaches become self-absorbed as the highest-paid employees in their states when they receive the following lucrative estimated annual salaries:
- Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ($5 million-plus)
- Kentucky's John Calipari ($4.6 million)
- Louisville's Rick Pitino ($3.9 million)
- Kansas' Bill Self ($3.857 million)
- Florida's Billy Donovan ($3.5 million)
- Michigan State's Tom Izzo ($3.5 million)
- West Virginia's Bob Huggins ($3.33 million)
- Ohio State's Thad Matta ($3.2 million)
- Indiana's Tom Crean ($3.16 million)
- UCLA's Steve Alford ($2.6 million)
- Texas' Rick Barnes ($2.2 million)
- Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg ($2 million)
- North Carolina's Roy Williams ($2 million)
- North Carolina State's Mark Gottfried ($1.95 million)
- Syracuse's Jim Boeheim ($1.9 million)