Bill Self
A master architect of college basketball dynasties, he built Kansas into a relentless force that dominates the Big 12 and contends for national titles.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American basketball coach·Birthday: December 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bill Self’s coaching journey is a testament to building programs from the ground up. Starting at Oral Roberts, then Tulsa, and Illinois, he proved he could win anywhere before landing the crown jewel job at Kansas in 2003. There, he didn't just maintain tradition; he modernized it, crafting teams known for their tough, physical defense and high-powered offense. His tenure transformed the Jayhawks into the undisputed powerhouse of the Big 12 Conference, a streak of conference championships that became a defining marvel in modern sports. Beyond the wins, Self is a fierce competitor and recruiter, whose sideline intensity matches his strategic acumen, securing his place among the most successful coaches in the history of the college game.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bill was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA National Championship in 2008.
- Won over two dozen conference regular-season championships across his tenures at Kansas, Illinois, and Tulsa.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
- Became the fastest coach in Kansas history to reach 500 wins with the program.
Did You Know?
He played college basketball at Oklahoma State University under coach Paul Hansen.
Self's first head coaching job was at Oral Roberts University, where he took over a program that had won just five games the season before.
He is one of only three coaches to win NCAA tournament games at four different schools.
“The key to winning is getting good players and getting them to play together.”
