March 5, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kansas -

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self was named the Yahoo! Sports National Coach of the Year Thursday.  Self was a finalist along with Trent Johnson of LSU, Craig Robinson of Oregon State, Mike Anderson of Missouri and Leonard Hamilton of Florida State. 

It is the first time that Self has been named a National Coach of the Year award by a major publication since he was named the National Coach of the Year in 2000 by The Sporting News.  Self was recently named a Henry Iba Award Coach of the Year Finalist.  Self is also a four-time finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003).

Self’s Jayhawks clinched a share of their fifth-straight Big 12 Conference Championship Wednesday.  Kansas (24-6, 13-2) had to replace all five starters from last year’s NCAA National Championship team, and incorporate eight newcomers to this season’s team.

Prior to 2008-09, in Bill Self’s five full seasons as head coach at Kansas he was won one national championship, four regular-season Big 12 titles and three league tournament championships.  He has guided KU to three NCAA Elite Eights and one Final Four.  In his sixth season at KU, Self is currently 166-38, while owning a 373-143 overall mark.

Kansas wraps up the regular season Saturday when it hosts Texas on Senior Day in Allen Fieldhouse.  Seniors Matt Kleinmann and Brennan Bechard will be recognized as the Jayhawks and Longhorns square off at 3 p.m. on CBS.