Jayhawks Rally Behind Jacque Vaughn in Road Win Over Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. - The Kansas Jayhawks might’ve traded their winter coats for some sunshine on their trip to Colorado, but things got real warm for acting head coach Jacque Vaughn after Tuesday night’s 75-69 win over the Buffaloes - thanks to a celebratory locker room soaking from his players.
“He definitely got wet on today,” guard Melvin Council Jr. said with a grin. “We drenched him today.”
And Vaughn earned every drop of it.
The former KU point guard and longtime NBA head coach stepped into the top seat on a day’s notice after Bill Self stayed back in Lawrence due to illness. While Self is now back home and recovering, Vaughn was thrust into a familiar-yet-new role - calling the shots for a college team for the first time in his coaching career.
He’s no rookie to the clipboard. Vaughn’s logged 129 wins in the NBA as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic. But Tuesday night marked his first official win leading his alma mater, and it came under unique circumstances.
“You do the best that you can, you do it in your way,” Vaughn said postgame. “But I think at the end of the day, mission accomplished.”
A Gritty Win, Not a Pretty One
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a wire-to-wire clinic from Kansas. The Jayhawks had to grind this one out.
They didn’t lead by double digits until the final minute and gave Colorado just enough life to keep things uncomfortable down the stretch. Defensive lapses in the first half left shooters too open on the perimeter, and the Jayhawks struggled to generate turnovers all night.
Still, they found a way.
It wasn’t dominant, but it was gutsy - especially for a team adjusting on the fly without their Hall of Fame head coach on the sideline. Vaughn leaned heavily on the experience of KU’s deep coaching bench, giving credit where it was due.
“My role tonight was to, I guess, stand up a bit,” Vaughn said. “But collectively we’ve got a great coaching staff, and this wasn’t me at all. Coach (Jeremy) Case, Coach (Kurtis) Townsend, Coach (Joe) Dooley, the scout was done by Coach (Tony) Bland, Coach (Doc) Sadler - our group is pretty high-level, and they allowed me to stand up and yell some plays out today.”
Players Adjust Without Self - But Keep His Voice in Their Heads
It was a new experience for sophomore forward Flory Bidunga, who’d never played a game without Self directing traffic from the sideline.
“Coach Vaughn’s a great coach, don’t get me wrong,” Bidunga said. “Obviously it was weird because that’s my second year playing with KU and that’s my first time playing without Coach Self. But even despite that, we still have a job to do, and I think that’s what we did.”
That sense of responsibility - and Self’s presence - didn’t vanish just because he wasn’t physically in the building.
“It was kind of different,” Council added, “but we knew he was with us - in the huddle, the sideline - we knew that he was on us still, regardless if he wasn’t here.”
Looking Ahead
Whether Vaughn’s stint as interim coach was a one-game cameo or the start of a short run remains to be seen. KU has said Self expects to return to practice this week, but Vaughn didn’t offer any definitive updates postgame.
“I don’t know about the timeline of this thing,” Vaughn said. “Like I said, I’ll do my part, whatever it is. But he’s excited, and looking forward to seeing him when we get back.”
For now, Kansas walks away with its first road win of league play - a hard-earned one - and a reminder of the depth and resilience within this program. Vaughn stepped up, the staff rallied, and the players handled their business. That’s the kind of team win that can pay dividends down the stretch.