Where Did Bill Self Land in The Athletic’s Top 25 Coaches of the Decade?

Bill Self was handed the top spot in The Athletic's new head coaching rankings of the 2000s.

Jan 28, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self watches play against the UCF Knights during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

It isn't a secret that Bill Self has transformed into an all-time coach since taking over at the helm for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2003.

With 18 conference championships, 11 conference tournament titles, four Final Four appearances, and two national titles at KU, Self has assembled one of the most illustrious coaching resumes in the sport’s history.

In The Athletic's new top 25 head coaching rankings of the 2000s by CJ Moore, he placed Self at the No. 1 overall spot.

In college basketball, most coaches are judged by their success in March and April.

It’s a slightly flawed way to judge because of the one-and-done tournament setup.

So who are men’s college basketball’s top 25 coaches of the 2000s? pic.twitter.com/CvILT0K4wi

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 15, 2025

Moore offered his reasoning below:

"Self is one of the game’s all-time bests with a clipboard and you can never count his team out," Moore wrote. "The Jayhawks have had some of the greatest comebacks ever under his watch, two of those coming in the national title game."

"On this list, Roy Williams is second this century with 11 conference titles at the high-major level, and he’s seven behind Self. Williams and Coach K are one ahead of Self in national titles, but it is worth noting that he was coaching the national title favorite in 2020 when the NCAA Tournament was canceled," Moore argued.

"You could knock Self for not winning more in the NCAA Tournament — his teams have been a No. 1 seed 11 times — but he has won more games in the NCAA Tournament than any coach this century. Add his regular-season success on top of that, and he’s the choice."

Self landed at No. 1 overall, leading other coaching greats like Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright, and Rick Pitino.

While any of these coaches have enjoyed their own respective success, none have been as consistent year in and year out over the past 25 seasons.

The Hall of Fame coach is the university's all-time win leader and coordinated a dominant reign over the Big 12 for over a decade.

Some will disagree, but we firmly believe no coach rivals Self this decade.