"I always thought, 'How cool v.ould it be to office on Naismith Drive?' Now it actually gets to happen."
2B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self
Inside Sports
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2003
Marquette coach signs contract extension
Crean ends speculation that he would become head coach at Illinois
The Associated Press
MILWAUKEE — Tom Crean signed a new contract to remain coach at Marquette, ending speculation that he was a leading contender to take the Illinois job.
Cream, who led Marquette to its first Final Four appearance in 26 years, said last night that he'd signed a new deal. Terms were not disclosed.
"It's a long-term contract, and it's more than generous." Crean said at the Alumni Memorial Union on the Marquette campus in front of about 100 students and renorters.
The 37-year-old coach was among the first names mentioned for the Illinois position when Bill Self was introduced as the new Kansas coach on Monday.
Cream said he had not met with any of his players to inform them of his decision. "I don't think they ever thought I was going anywhere," he said.
Cream has guided the Golden Eagles to an 83-41 record in four seasons, including 53-13 over the last two, as the team returned to the success it enjoyed under the late Al McGuire.
Marquette won the 1977 NCAA championship but fell short of the title game earlier this month when the Golden Eagles lost to Kansas 94-61 in the national semifinals.
During the game, Crean's 64-year-old mother, Marjorie Crean, sufered a stroke and was hospitalized. Crean had maintained since then that his focus was on his family and not his future.
But he acknowledged being flattered to hear his name at the Final Four.
"You'd rather be known for that than to be on a hot seat," he said. "The only time it's a problem for me is when it comes up in recruiting, and it does."
The contract replaces the reworked
deal Crean signed in April 2002. Marquette, a private school, does not release contract information, but it is believed that Crean will get more than $1.1 million annually. The contract also is believed
to contain a clause that would allow him to leave if the Michigan State job ever opens.
After working for Ralph Willard at Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh, Crean returned to East Lansing in 1995 and became Tom Izzo's top assistant and chief recruiter, helping convince Mateen Cleaves to join the program.
Crean got into coaching at the high school level when he was still an undergraduate at Central Michigan. Jud Heathcote hired him right out of college at Michigan State in 1989.
In 1999, Athletics Director Bill Cords gave Crean his first head coaching job at Marquette, where he replaced Mike Deane. Crean went 15-14 in each of his first two seasons before improving to 26-7 in 2001-02; the Golden Eagles went 27-6 this past season.
Three of Crean's assistants have gone on to become head coaches, including Darrin Horn, who was hired at Western Kentucky last week.
Athletics Director Bill Cords said Marquette approached Crean about a better contract during the NCAA tournament, and they have been working on the details ever since.
"The finishing touches are being put on it right now." Crean said.
Cream is staying at a program that has at least eight returning scholarship players and strong support from the administration and fans. Also on the horizon is the new $31 million Al McGuire Center, which will replace the team's aging workout facility known simply as the "Old Gym."
Ethics of basketball in the eve of the beholder
The Associated Press
LAWRENCE — That old expression about right and wrong depending upon whose ox is being gored never seemed truer in Kansas and Illinois right now.
So many poor oxen have given up their lives in order for basketball fans to sort out their feelings on the Roy Williams-Bill Self saga the games might well be moved from an arena to a slaughterhouse.
In the beginning, Jayhawk faithful were outraged that North Carolina would talk of' Roy into breaking his contract with Kansas. Those pirates!
Well, yes. The more well-heeled Jayhawk boosters are passing a hat to take care of the $500,000 buyout provision Illinois was smart enough to write into Self's deal.
Then Kansas went out and persuaded Bill Self to do exactly the same thing to Illinois. Self had recently signed a five-year contract extension with the Illini. But did Kansas care?
On the loyalty issue, Williams had
stuck it out with the Jayhawks for 15 years. But Self was at Illinois only two years and 10 months before hopping aboard a private jet and heading for what he called "a career-ending job."
Another point for Kansans to ponder is that Williams is a North Carolina grad whose family and friends and childhood memories are firmly planted on Tobacco Road.
Self, on the other hand, is an Oklahoma native. His only Kansas connection was the year he spent on Larry Brown's staff in 1985-86.
Nevertheless, Williams and Self had both been promising the young men they recruited that they would be with them all four years of their eligibility.
To be blunt, both men broke their promise.
"I think there's a problem when Roy can move with impunity and kids have a legal obligation to stay with the school unless they're released," said Don Marquis, a professor of philosophy at Kansas and longtime season ticket-holder in Allen Fieldhouse.
"I think Roy was morally obligated to stay." Marquis said, "People have said what Roy did was the best for himself and his family. Well, that's not an excuse for breaking a solid promise. Kids are committing four years of their lives. To say Roy would have suffered some kind of hardship if he had stayed at Kansas, making $1 million a year, is absurd."
Then there's the case of the disappearing recruit. Anti-Williams fever hit a boiling point last week when he appeared to be hinting that he wanted blue-chip prospects Omar Wilkes and David Padgett to seek release from the letters-of-intent they've signed with Kansas.
Jayhawk officials even lodged a complaint directly with North Carolina. They publicly reminded their former coach that NCAA rules prohibit schools from messing with a prospect once he's signed the letter.
But Self, it turns out, has formed a great relationship with an enormously gifted kid from New Jersey named Charlie Villanueva. The 6-foot-9 can't-miss
blue-chipper has orally committed to Illinois, but now says he might decide on Kansas.
To be sure, there is an important legal distinction here. The Kansas recruits have signed binding letters-of-intent, while Villanueva has made only a nonbinding oral commitment.
So now, many of those same people who were outraged that Williams might woo Kansas recruits are positively giddy at the prospect of Self's snatching Villanueva away from Illinois.
But wasn't it Illinois that in good faith paid for every letter, phone call, plane ticket and minute of time that Self spent getting to know the young man?
"I have no problem with that," said Drue Jennings, Kansas' interim athletic director. "He hasn't signed a letter of intent. Legally and by NCAA rules and morally and ethically, that's OK. It will be (Self's) decision what other talent he wants to go after."
But because of legal ramifications, you'd have protested Williams' action?
Free forAll
Yeah, I'm uh, uh, uh, uh, real happy to have,
uh, Bill Self as uh, uh, coach of the Kansas
Jayhawks.
图
I'm going to support Bill Self 150 percent, and yes, Tim, that is possible.
Forget about Roy Williams being my grandpa. I want Bill Self to be my dad.
需
I'd just like to warn everybody that we're in for about 20 years of bad Bill Self puns from
圆
media types and T-shirt manufacturers. Brace your Selfs.
I'm watching the KU press conference, and Bill Self just said "stellar" twice. Rock on!
G-g-g-g-go Bill Self
athletic department need to pat themselves on the back for bringing that sexy Self here.
--athletic department need to pat themselves on the back for bringing that sexy Self here.
Boy, I have a David Padgett-sized crush on that new Bill Self. Mmm, mmm good. Are those basketball fans at Illinois who are vilifying their coach in the newspaper practicing Self abuse?
Man, Chancellor Bob and interim athletic director Drue and everyone else at the
Bill Self, welcome back to Kansas, and can I just say how nice it is to have a sexy basketball coach?
athletic department need to pat themselves on the back for bringing that sexy Self here.
athletic department need to pat themselves on the back for bringing that sexy Self here.
If Bill Self pulls a Roy, we can call him Billy Selfish.
first season at Kansas?
Welcome to the University of Kansas, Bill Self.
(singing) I don't want anybody else, when I think about you, I touch my Self.
图
I love my Self. I'm not being narcissistic, I just love my new coach.
Roy thought about himself, so we're thinking about our Self. UNC sucks.
Tryouts for Self's Elves will be held
first season at Kansas?
--first season at Kansas?
--first season at Kansas?
Wednesday at 4:00 at 19th and Mass. Be there or be square. I love my Self!
first season at Kansas?
Billy Self is a baller, shock caller, 20-inch blades on the Impala.
Hey, if you're going to trash our basketball team, at least know who you're trashing. It was Jeff Graves, not Jeff Hawkins, who had on the velour outfit. Thanks, and have a nice day.
first season at Kansas?
B
Self, Self, he's our man, if he can't do it ... he'll go to North Carolina.
first season at Kansas?
If you don't know what L-7 means, then you are a square.
B-B-B-Bill Self has a st-st-st-stuttering problem.
POLL QUESTION
kansan.com How successful will Bill Self be in his
The Jayhawks will struggle in his first year.
He will have a winning record.
He will lead the Jayhawks to a Big 12 Conference title.
12 Conference title.
He will take Kansas to the Elite Eight.
He will take Kansas to the Elite Light
Kansas will see another Final Four berth.
He will win the championship.
Log on to www.kansan.com to cast your vote
Kansas Athletics Calendar
TODAY
TOMORROW
Baseball at Wichita State, 7 p.m., Wichita Softball vs. University of Missouri-Kansas City, doubleheader, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Jayhawk Field
Women's golf at Big 12 Championships, all
dev. Columbia, Mo.
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, all day, Kansas City, Mo.
FRIDAY
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, all day Kansas City, Mo.
Baseball vs. Baylor, 7 p.m., Hogland Ballpark
Softball vs. Nebraska, 5 p.m., Jayhawk Field
SATURDAY
Tennis at big 12 Championships, all day,
Kansas City, Mo.
Baseball vs. Baylor, 2 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Rowing at the University of Cincinnati, all day,Cincinnati
Softball vs. Baylor, 2 p.m., Jayhawk Field
SUNDAY
Baseball vs. Baylor, 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Tennis at Big 12 Championships, all day,
Kansas City, Mo.
Softball vs. Baylor, 1 p.m., Jayhawk Field
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Western Illinois basketball hires former UNLV assistant coach
MACOMB, III. — UNLV assistant Derek Thomas was hired yesterday as head basketball coach at Western Illinois, taking over a program that has lost 20 or more games in three of the past four years.
Thomas, 36, replaces Jim Kerwin, who resigned for health reasons last month after going 135-174 in 11 seasons at Macomb.
Thomas spent two years as an assistant to Charlie Spoonhour at UNLV, which finished 21-11 last season and lost in the first round of the NIT.
Thomas' father, Emmitt, played 13 years for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. The Associated Press
The Associated Press
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