Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self spent the last 23 seasons with the Jayhawks, but his future is cloudy. File Photo by Robert Cornforth/UPI | License Photo
March 23 (UPI) — Bill Self has not decided if he will return as coach at Kansas, he said after exiting from the 2026 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
Self made the comment after the St. John’s Red Storm beat the Jayhawks 67-65 in the second round of the tournament Sunday in San Diego. The veteran men’s basketball coach cited his history of health issues as a reason he needs to consider his options.
“I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on,” Self told reporters at his postgame news conference. “I love what I do. I need to be able to do it while I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well.”
Self, 63, spent the last 23 years with the Jayhawks. He just finished his 33rd season as a collegiate coach, including previous tenures at Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts. His 860 wins rank 19th in college basketball history, four behind coach John Calipari of Arkansas and one more than Rick Barnes of Tennessee, who remain active in the tournament.
Self dealt with several health issues in recent years. He underwent a heart catheterization in 2023 and missed that postseason. He also was hospitalized in 2024, leading to another heart procedure.
Self spent time at the hospital again this January. The school said at the time that Self “felt under the weather” and the move was made “out of an abundance of caution.”
Self said in August that he did not consider stepping down. He also said doctors advised him to exercise and make improvements to his diet.
He told reporters he didn’t know if he was “completely” healthy, when asked at Sunday’s news conference.
“I’m feeling as a good as I’ve felt in a long time,” Self said. “I’m not making any statements whatsoever. Every year, it used to be, when you’ve done it as long as I’ve done it, I looked at it in five-year increments. Now, I’m probably looking at it more in two-year increments.”
Self’s Jayhawks finished their 2025-26 campaign with a 24-10 record. They ranked 56th out of 365 programs in points allowed per game and 184th in points scored per game. The Jayhawks also had one of the toughest schedules in college basketball.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (C) celebrates with teammates after the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 to win the World Series in Toronto on November 1, 2025. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
