Big 12 Basketball: Ranking all 16 head coaches for 2024-25 season

2. Scott Drew (Baylor)

Architect of one of college basketball’s greatest rebuilds, Drew actually spent much of his early career worked under his father. He assisted Homer Drew at Valparaiso for nearly a decade before succeeding him in 2002, taking the Crusaders to the NIT in his sole season. He’d leave the state of Indiana for Texas shortly thereafter, accepting a tough job at Baylor but one in which he’d truly succeed.

Baylor was an utter mess when he took over 21 years ago but now sits as one of the nation’s yearly contenders. The moment of note was Baylor’s amazing run to the national championship in 2021, though he’s had other success both at the national and conference level. Several deep Tournament runs have sustained the Bears, though they’ve failed to get out of the opening weekend the last three years. Regardless, Drew is a living legend of the sport.

1. Bill Self (Kansas)

Quite possibly the most successful active head coach, Self has been a beacon of triumph throughout his coaching career. After graduating from Oklahoma State, he served time on a few staffs before his head coaching days began at Oral Roberts back in 1993. He did decent work with those Golden Eagles before leading both Tulsa and Illinois to Elite Eight runs during brief tenures. Self then returned to Kansas in 2003, arriving at the school where he started as an assistant eighteen years earlier.

The Jayhawks have made the NCAA Tournament in each of Self’s seasons, with four Final Fours and national championships in 2008 and 2022. That alone makes him a legend, but he’s also conquered the Big 12 at every turn, winning 16 regular season titles and 8 Tournament crowns in those 21 years. What Kansas has accomplished over the last two decades is almost incomparable at the power conference level and Self’s name will forever sit among the legends, especially with 800 career wins.