"He’s done an unbelievable job": Bill Self backs Steve Lutz as the right man for Oklahoma State after Jayhawks’ crushing victory

Bill Self's Kansas defeated Steve Lutz's Oklahoma State 96-64 on Saturday. Both teams battled to dictate the momentum in the opening minutes before the Jayhawks led by 12 points with less than eight minutes in the half. The home team then went on a 21-4 run for a 29-point lead at the break.

Despite a better performance in the remaining stretch, OSU could never close the deficit. However, in the postgame conference, Self praised Lutz's coaching abilities and his potential impact on the Cowboys.

"He's always been very well thought of, he's done an unbelievable job," he said. "The last two places he's been, those aren't the easiest places to go to the NCAA Tournament and he's been able to do that. So, I think they've got the right guy and I think that'll play out to be true."

While Bill Self does not know Steve Lutz personally, he has been familiarized with his work through mutual connections and the coaching community.

Lutz has a lengthy resume. He worked for 23 years under coaches such as Danny Kaspar, Matt Doherty, Greg McDermott of Creighton, and Matt Painter of the Purdue Boilermakers.

His head coaching career started with Texas A&M in 2021, where he led the program to a 67.1% win rate in two years. He also led the team to the SLC regular season title, two conference tournament championships and the school's first-ever NCAA tourney win.

Lutz then coached Western Kentucky for a season, leading it to its first Conference USA tournament title and an NCAA bid.

Bill Self responds to rumors of leaving Jayhawks for Oklahoma State

Despite his five-year rolling lifetime contract with the Jayhawks, Bill Self was reported to have almost changed his home from the Jayhawks to Oklahoma State in the 2024 offseason. The Cowboys were transitioning from Mike Boynton at the time.

He addressed rumors after Saturday's win, saying that he met with the program representatives and discussed the possible routes to the school's success.

"I spoke to them, answered questions about the job and offered my opinion about what is needed to win in our league - which I have done every time the job has opened. They got the right guy," he said.

Even though Self shared that he has joined the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Oklahoma, he asserted his desire to stay with the Jayhawks.

"I did join Karsten Creek, one of the country’s top golf courses, as an out-of-area member but I’ve never spent a night close to Stillwater in the last 20 years unless my team was playing there."

Bill Self and Kansas (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) will now hit the road to face Colorado on Monday. They will then face three back-to-back ranked teams to conclude the season.