Stop Saying Bill Self Should Ever Coach the San Antonio Spurs for Any Reason

Gregg Popovich is about as constant a force in the NBA as 10-foot rim heights, the Alonzo Mourning GIF, and gravity itself. He shall not be moved. But it also must be mentioned that the San Antonio Spurs coach turned 71 years old in January and doesn't have infinite gas left in the tank; naturally, chatter about a potential succession plan was never going to be kept at bay forever.

But one man who appeared in recent rumors concerning the job should be ruled out straight away: Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks.

And not just because he himself pushed back against them.

"I don't hear about it much at all, because I know there's absolutely zero truth to it."@KUHoops HC Bill Self shot down rumors linking him to the Spurs job with @GoodmanHoops & @RobDauster on #CHInsiders. #RockChalk pic.twitter.com/Hvzv4t7CrI
— Stadium (@Stadium) March 3, 2020

In a conversation with Stadium's Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster on the "College Hoops Insiders" show, Self made it clear that he doesn't have eyes on the Spurs gig despite his close relationship with longtime front office boss RC Buford. "[T]his has never been broached one time. Never even discussed at all," he said.

But in a perfect world, that's not even the best evidence as to why Self should never succeed a godlike presence such as Pop. Really, it should be because of all the NCAA heat Kansas men's basketball has received under his watch for alleged recruiting violations and a lack of institutional control.

Anyone who follows Pop needs to be something at least approaching a saint. Self may be technically innocent of corrupt recruiting practices regarding alleged cash payments made to Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa, but the NCAA made it clear in a past notice of allegations that they belived the Jayhawks boss bears a responsibility for knowing what goes on inside his program and policing it accordingly.

Via @dennisdoddcbs, Kansas on Thursday will publicly release its formal response to the NCAA’s notice of allegations. The case is expected to have adjudication later in 2020; Bill Self and his program have been charged with Level I violations. https://t.co/sMkJosstXK
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 3, 2020

The NBA is not a place to which you flee to escape the watchful eye of college sports' ruling body. The NCAA may have heaps of problems itself -- my-oh-my, does it ever -- but Self just isn't worthy of being the man at the helm of such a respectable, altogether decent franchise such as the one in San Antonio. And the team would be out of its gourd even to consider him.

(The Knicks, of course, would be another story.)