Details revealed on former KU great Jacque Vaughn’s assistant-coaching contract
New Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball assistant coach Jacque Vaughn has signed a two-year contract agreement through the 2026-27 season with an annual base salary of $360,000 each year, the Star learned Wednesday through an open-records request to KU.
There are also incentives: Vaughn, 50, will earn $25,000 apiece if KU wins the Big 12 regular-season title (including ties); wins the Big 12 tournament title; makes an NCAA postseason tourney appearance; makes a Sweet 16 appearance; and makes a Final Four appearance.
He would receive an additional $50,000 if KU wins the NCAA championship.
Incentive payments, the contract agreement noted, are “bonuses and do not alter assistant coach’s base salary amount.”
Vaughn on May 21 was hired to fill a vacancy on Bill Self’s coaching staff. The opening arose when Norm Roberts announced his retirement after 14 seasons at KU and 37 years in the business.
Year one of Vaughn’s contract runs from June 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Contract year two runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
During the term of his agreement, the agreement reads, Vaughn will “report to and be under the immediate supervision of the head coach, who reports to the director of athletics or their designee.”
Vaughn’s duties include “supervising, evaluating, recruiting, training and coaching student-athletes to compete against major college competition as it relates to the men’s basketball program.”
Vaughn, who played at KU from the 1993-94 to 1996-97 seasons, went on to spend 12 years in the NBA as a player. He more recently served as head coach of the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets.
He concluded his career as KU’s (and the Big Eight Conference’s) all-time assists leader, with 804, which currently ranks third at KU. The Pasadena, California native earned second-team All-America honors in his senior year under then-head coach Roy Williams.
Vaughn was also a two-time Academic All-America first-team selection (1996 and 1997) and was the 1997 Academic All-American of the Year. Vaughn and Cole Aldrich (2010) are the only players in program history to be named Academic All-American of the Year.
On the KU career charts, Vaughn still ranks third in assists (804), ninth in games started (125), 19th in steals (160), 23rd in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3%) and 40th in points scored (1,207).
Vaughn’s KU jersey was officially retired on Dec. 21, 2002.
“I’m truly honored and overwhelmed with excitement to return to my alma mater and join coach Self’s staff as an assistant coach,” Vaughn said on the day his hiring was announced. “The game of basketball has provided me the incredible privilege to mentor, coach, and compete alongside some of the best in the game.
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring those experiences back to the school that means so much to me. It’s a blessing to once again be part of the Jayhawk tradition.”
