Bill Self Reflects on Coaching Future After NCAA Loss
Kansas coach Bill Self has not yet decided on his coaching future following the team's recent NCAA tournament exit. His choice will prioritize health over on-court performance.
SAN DIEGO -- Following the Kansas Jayhawks' season-ending defeat to St. John's, head coach Bill Self stated he has not yet made a decision regarding his coaching future.
After the Jayhawks lost 67-65 on a last-second layup in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Self said, "I'll get back and get with family and visit and see what's going on. I love what I do, I need to be able to do it where I'm feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I'll get back home, and it'll all be discussed."
Self emphasized that his eventual decision would be based on his health rather than the recent game outcomes. The 63-year-old has faced various health challenges in recent years, including a heart catheterization in 2023 and a hospitalization for concerning symptoms in July 2024, which led to the insertion of two stents.
In January of this year, he was hospitalized again due to illness, although he reported feeling better now, stating, "I feel as good as I've felt in a long time."
Self, who has a coaching record of 634-167 since joining Kansas in 2003 and has won two national championships, remarked, "I'm not making any statements whatsoever. When you get to be doing it as long as I've done it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I'm probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak." He acknowledged the disappointment of not advancing further in the tournament.
In their game against St. John's, the Jayhawks overcame a 14-point deficit, only to be eliminated by a buzzer-beating layup from Dylan Darling. "One of the things that makes [the tournament] so great is that it can be great, but it can also be cruel," Self reflected. He expressed sadness for his players who had put forth great effort.
This loss marks the fourth consecutive year that Self's teams have not progressed past the second round of the NCAA tournament. He noted that past health issues affected his coaching during the first of those years, while this year's team struggled with consistency.
While he expressed a desire for his fourth-seeded team to have performed better during the season for a higher seed, he rejected the idea that the program's identity needs to change. "I actually believe that we need to do a really good job evaluating and recruiting," he said. Self added that the next four to six weeks will be crucial for the program's improvement moving forward.