April 21, 2003
The Associated Press

After three seasons at Illinois, Bill Self was introduced Monday as the head coach at Kansas -- where he began his college coaching career.

"This was a decision based (on) our family -- for the betterment of it -- and certainly after a lot of talks with people that I strongly respect. It was a decision that had to be made, and certainly a decision that I'm very happy with and very happy to be here," Self said.

Self is an Edmond, Okla., native. He played and was an assistant at Oklahoma State and was head coach at Oral Roberts and Tulsa before going to Illinois.


In a news conference this afternoon on the Lawrence campus, Self described the KU job as "the most prestigious act in all of college basketball."

Self succeeds Roy Williams, who left Kansas last week for North Carolina.

Self began his college coaching as an assistant to Williams' predecessor, Larry Brown, in the 1985-86 season.

Self becomes the eighth coach in KU history. He was 78-24 in three years at Illinois.

His five-year contract is worth $1.2 million per year.