NEW ORLEANS — Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Self at age 59 has won his second NCAA Tournament title at Kansas, one more than any other Jayhawks men's coach in the tradition-rich program's history.
In directing the Jayhawks, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, to a 72-69 victory over North Carolina, the No. 8 seed in the East Regional, in Monday night's 2022 title game, Self became the third active men's coach with multiple national titles. Self's Jayhawks also won it all in 2008.
The victory at the Caesars Superdome also moved Kansas, which passed Kentucky for the most all-time victories in Division I men's basketball during the 2021-22 season, past Villanova and into a tie with UConn for sixth in all-time men's NCAA championships with four.
UCLA remains No. 1 with 11 titles, followed by Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6), Duke (5) and Indiana (5). KU and UConn have four titles, followed by Nova (3).
Cincinnati, Florida, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco have won two titles apiece.
The Jayhawks have now won national titles in 2022, 2008, 1988 and 1952. KU also was retroactively awarded Helms Foundation national titles for the 1922 and '23 seasons. The NCAA Tournament began in 1939.
With the victory, Self joins Villanova's Jay Wright and Iona's Rick Pitino, who each led their teams to two NCAA crowns. Pitino, who won a title at both Louisville and Kentucky, had to forfeit the 2013 crown at Louisville because of NCAA sanctions, thus officially has just one title.
Self is now tied for seventh in most men's national titles by a coach. UCLA's John Wooden leads the way with 10, followed by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who is retiring with five. Kentucky's Adolph Rupp has four, followed by Roy Williams (three, all at North Carolina), UConn's Jim Calhoun (three) and Indiana's Bob Knight (three).
Coaches with two titles: Self, Louisville's Denny Crum, Florida's Billy Donovan (now coach of NBA's Chicago Bulls), Oklahoma State's Henry Iba, Cincinnati's Ed Jucker, Indiana's Branch McCracken, North Carolina's Dean Smith, San Francisco's Phil Woolpert, Villanova's Wright and Iona's Pitino (Louisville, Kentucky).
Coaches with one title: KU's Larry Brown and Phog Allen, plus Scott Drew, Jim Boeheim, Tony Bennett, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Tubby Smith, Kevin Ollie, Gary Williams, Lute Olson, Jim Harrick, Nolan Richardson, Steve Fisher, Rollie Massimino, John Thompson, Jim Valvano, Jud Heathcote, Joe B. Hall, Al McGuire, Norm Sloan, Don Haskins, George Ireland, Fred Taylor, Pete Newell, Frank McGuire, Ken Loeffler, Nat Holman, Doggie Julian, Vadal Peterson, Everett Shelton, Everett Dean, Bud Foster and Howard Hobson.
