The longtime Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball head coach addressed rumors of his retirement.
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team’s season ended on a buzzer beater by St. John's Red Storm in a 67-65 loss in the Round of 32. Immediately after Sunday's exit, questions arose about head coach Bill Self’s future with the program, and whether that defeat would be the end of Self’s tenure with the Jayhawks. In today’s age of social media, especially with the verification process decimated for journalists on X, it’s easy to spread rumors. That would appear to be what the reports of Self’s imminent retirement was, ones that circulated on social media following their NCAA tournament exit. Self strongly shut down those reports, telling the Kansas City Star that those retirement rumors are “All b.s. Bad info,” via a text message.
Now, that doesn’t mean that Self committed to returning. He still is undecided and doesn’t have a timeframe for that call on walking away or running it back. Self also said that health, not the game, would dictate his decision. Self underwent a “standard heart catheterization" in 2023, causing him to miss the postseason. He had a procedure to insert two stents in his heart after being hospitalized in July of 2025. Most recently, he was taken to the hospital "abundance of caution" in January while being sick. He did say Sunday that he feels as good as he has in a while, but that history certainly adds up.
Here is the full story from Jayhawks Roundtable writer Liam Carson on Self addressing rumors and what his future holds.
The winningest coach in Kansas basketball history has led Kansas to four Final Four appearances and two national championships in 2018 and 2022. Should he leave, Self will end with a career 634-167 record with the Jayhawks since becoming the head coach in 2003.