New Kansas coach must do more than win

Winning won't be enough for Bill Self.

In his bid to successfully replace Roy Williams, Self will have to do much more than win a national championship. He'll have to win with the appearance of high integrity and class, and he'll have to win with an exciting brand of basketball.

If he doesn't, the ghost of Roy Williams will eventually spook Self into lusting after the opportunity to succeed Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State, Self's alma mater.

Kansas introduced Bill Self, the former Illinois and Tulsa coach, on Monday as the successor to Roy Williams' throne. In the minds of KU's less-than-visionary search committee, Self was the no-brainer choice.

It's no surprise that chancellor Robert Hemenway, associate athletic directors Doug Vance and Richard Konzem and classy interim A.D. Drue Jennings zeroed in on Self, 40, once it became clear that Williams would bolt for North Carolina.

Self's appointment is a decision that is beyond obvious criticism. On the surface, there appears to be no risk and the chance for great reward.

Self is an outstanding coach with a spotless resume who has long made his desire to lead the Kansas basketball program known throughout coaching circles. Given KU's returning talent, recruiting class and the players' desire to be coached by Self, Kansas could easily dash to another Final Four and possible national championship.

Wayne Simien gave his right arm for Roy Williams. Simien and the rest of the Jayhawks would love nothing more than to give Williams a career-damaging case of regret by winning it all in 2004.

Unfortunately, what Self is going to learn over the next couple of years is that winning it all won't be nearly enough for Bill Self at Kansas.

Kansas fans might dislike Williams for the way he left and they were often critical of William because he allegedly couldn't win the "big one," but Kansas fans absolutely adored the way Williams made them feel about their basketball program.

That was Roy's biggest accomplishment and his most irreplaceable asset. Roy made Kansas feel like Duke. He made Dick Vitale talk about Kansas the way he talked about Duke. That was better than winning it all.

I know many of you laughed out loud reading that. Competing with the appearance of class and integrity is better than winning a national championship, especially when you make four Final Four appearances in 15 years.

The glow of a national championship will burn out quickly if there's a hint that Kansas did it by cutting corners. Williams had so much credibility that everyone ignored the fact that he invited Lester Earl to campus. Self won't get away with that.

At age 52 and with a head full of gray hair, Williams had become a grandfatherly figure. He was KU's authority figure. He was KU's beacon of morality. Those characteristics carried a lot of weight in terms of raising money and making all Jayhawks feel pride.

It's going to be hard for Bill Self to sell his "basketball family" here.

He has stepped into a volatile situation. Don't be surprised if he leaves Kansas after four or five successful seasons to replace Sutton or work somewhere away from a legend's shadow.

Self might say that Kansas is his "destination" job and that he plans to retire in Lawrence. No one knows better than a Kansas fan that it would be foolish to totally trust that promise. Commitment is situational.

Self's commitment to Kansas will be tested time and time again. Williams' success elevated Kansas' expectations to a Duke level. It's a lot easier to recruit McDonald's All-Americans from stable families at Duke than it is at Kansas.

Self will win big, but I'm not sure that will be enough to keep him here.

Jason Whitlock is a sports columnist for The Kansas City Star.