Bill Self’s Future with Kansas Basketball Uncertain
Kansas coach Bill Self might have just coached his last game for the Jayhawks.
Following a narrow loss to the St. John’s Red Storm, where the score was 67-65 in the second round of March Madness, the celebrated coach, now 63, mentioned he would take some time to decide his future. “I’ll go back and connect with my family,” he shared with reporters. “I truly enjoy what I do. To do it effectively, you need to be in a good place, feeling healthy. I’m going to head home and go through it all.”
Self has faced various health challenges in the past few years. In 2023, for instance, he experienced chest tightness and underwent heart surgery, which led to him missing the team’s postseason appearance.
Last year, Kansas was eliminated in the round of 32 by Arkansas, and during that time, assistant coach Norm Roberts took over for Self.
Earlier in the current season, Self was hospitalized due to adverse weather and missed a game at Colorado, with Jacque Vaughn stepping in for him.
On a positive note, Self remarked that he feels “as good as I’ve felt in a long time.” He attributed his improvement to lifestyle changes he made, including adjusting his diet, reducing alcohol consumption, and exercising more, which resulted in a 20-pound weight loss.
“Once I adopt healthy habits, it becomes a lot simpler,” he mentioned at the start of the season. “I used to eat emotionally—stress eating before and after games. When I first faced my health issue, I think I accidentally overcame it. It’s strange how quickly feeling bad can seem like the norm.”
With a record of 634-167 as Kansas’ head coach, Self has worked with numerous players, from current talent like Darrin Peterson to stars like Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins over the years.
If he opts to step down after a challenging season, where his team held a preseason ranking of No. 19 by the Associated Press, Kansas could become an extremely desirable coaching opportunity nationwide.
Before Kansas, Self had coaching stints at Oral Roberts, Tulsa, and Illinois.
