Failure turns to success

"Bill's Self-less Jayhawks do not miss a beat

By DOUG TUCKER,
AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) During his first year as a head coach, Bill Self's Oral Roberts team lost 18 games in a row and he recalls thinking, "Maybe this isn't going to be as easy as I thought."
He won only 10 games the next year. Then he stumbled to a 1-3 start the year after that.
"I'd been thinking we would find ways to trick people and win games," he said. "I realized real fast that players win games. That's when the light went on."
It hasn't dimmed since.
In the next 13 years, Self's teams at ORU, Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas have captured 10 conference championships and finished second twice. His worst season was 19-12.
After winning last year's NCAA championship, all five starters and the top seven scorers departed. Self would have to incorporate eight newcomers into the mix. The Jayhawks were picked no higher than third and as low as fifth.
But with guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich reaching star status and the others finding their roles, the Jayhawks brought home a fifth consecutive Big 12 regular-season title. Now they're back in the round of 16 for the third straight year in what could be Self's finest coaching performance. "
http://boston.stats.com/cbk/story.asp?i=20090325201304150000101&ref=hea&tm=&src=
(full article here)

NCAA Coach fails early, but is great late. hmm..... - I wonder if our kids might learn from failure.