There is going to be a moment, whether it is now or sometime soon, where Bill Self steps away from the Kansas Jayhawks.
When that happens, Kansas is not just replacing a coach. It is trying to maintain one of the most consistent and successful runs in college basketball history. That is not easy to do, especially when the standard has been set as high as Self set it.
If I am Travis Goff, I am not overthinking it. The first call I am making is to Ben McCollum.
Bill Self built one of the most consistent programs in the country
It is impossible to talk about this job without understanding what Self turned it into.
Over more than two decades as a head coach, Self has built a career that puts him among the best in the sport. His overall record is well over 700 wins, and at Kansas, he turned consistency into an expectation.
He led the Jayhawks to multiple national championships, including the 2008 title and another in 2022. Kansas has been a regular in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament under his watch, with multiple Final Four appearances and a long stretch of conference dominance that included over a decade of Big 12 regular season titles.
More than anything, his teams were reliable. They defended, they executed, and they were tough. You knew what you were getting every year, and it usually ended with Kansas in the mix deep into March.
That identity is what has to be protected.
Ben McCollum has built a winner everywhere he has been
When you look at Ben McCollum, the track record stands out right away.
He owns a career record of 450–107, which speaks to just how consistently his teams win. At Northwest Missouri State, he built one of the most dominant programs in Division II history, winning four national championships and regularly competing for more.
He did not just win. He sustained it year after year.
From there, he stepped into Division I and kept winning. He had immediate success at Drake, then took over at Iowa Hawkeyes and quickly turned them into a team capable of making a deep run. In his first season, Iowa pushed into the NCAA tournament and made a strong run that included a win over a No. 1 seed.
That kind of transition is not easy, and it says a lot about how transferable his system is.
The fit comes down to identity and style
McCollum’s teams look the way Kansas teams have looked for years.
They are disciplined. They defend. They value possessions. They do not rely on chaos or talent alone. Everything is built on structure and toughness.
That is also what wins in March.
Kansas does not need to reinvent itself. It needs someone who understands what already works.
The decision should be about continuity, not noise
There will be bigger names tied to the job if it opens. That is always how it goes.
But this is not about making headlines. It is about making the right decision for a program that expects to compete for championships every year.
Bill Self built a foundation around winning the right way.
If that era comes to an end, the next step should be clear.
Call Ben McCollum and trust that the same principles that built Kansas can keep it where it belongs.