Bill Self isn’t entertaining the retirement talk, not even a little.
As he opened his 24th season at Kansas at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday, the Jayhawks’ head coach pushed back on the idea that this might be the end. Questions had started to swirl after recent health scares and four straight NCAA tournament exits in the first weekend, but Self made clear he’s not treating this year like a farewell tour.
“I’m certainly not thinking like [this season] is my last,” Self said. “I know I’m on the back nine, but whether it’s 14 or 16, I don’t know what hole I’m on right now. A lot depends on how we feel, and as long as we play well, I’ll feel a lot better.”
That answer fit the same steady tone Self has carried through a long run that has become one of the defining stretches in college basketball. Even now, his energy and obsession with the game still resonate inside the Kansas program.
Freshman Tyran Stokes, the former No. 1 recruit, said Self’s edge is obvious the moment he walks into the gym.
“He has the passion that I have for the game,” Stokes said. “Some coaches might be chill and laid back, but every day he comes into the gym, and you can tell that he has a passion for the game.”
Kansas guard Kohl Rosario pointed to Self’s teaching as a major part of his own growth, saying the coach’s influence shapes how he approaches the floor.
“There’s a way he plays basketball that’s going to be a reflection of what he’s taught me,” Rosario said.
That kind of support from players matters. But Self’s reputation stretches well beyond Lawrence, and the voices around the Big 12 made that clear too.
Baylor coach Scott Drew, who entered the conference alongside Self before the 2003-2004 season, said the longtime Kansas coach has pushed him over the years.
“Coach Self and I came into the Big 12 together, and I’ve learned a lot throughout the years competing against him,” Drew said. “When you compete against the best, you get better, and he’s the best.”
Colorado coach Tad Boyle has seen Self from both sides. Boyle, a former Kansas player, faced Self during his playing days at Oklahoma State from 1981-1985, and he called the Kansas run a “storybook career.”
“With what he’s done with the program, and the way he’s elevated it with two national championships, it’s a storybook career,” Boyle said. “As a former player at Kansas, to have him elevate that program the way he has is amazing.”
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland, who has gone 2-1 against Self since taking over the Red Raiders, said the Kansas coach’s footprint in the conference may be impossible to duplicate.
“His dominance in the Big 12, I don’t think will ever be repeated,” McCasland said. “He’s legendary, obviously for that, and for having his teams to compete the way they have.”
McCasland also singled out Self for something that goes beyond wins and losses, praising his authenticity and the way he has represented the coaching profession. Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger went a step further, putting Self on his Mount Rushmore of college coaches.
“I think Bill Self has done so much for all of us,” Otzelberger said. “He’s been for the coaches, he’s been for the student-athletes, he’s done a lot for our industry, our profession, and specifically this conference, so we’re all very grateful to him.”
For Kansas athletic director Travis Goff, the legacy is bigger than basketball.
“Bill is synonymous with excellence, and he’s synonymous with Kansas, but his impact transcends far beyond basketball,” Goff said. “We’re so thankful for all he’s done, and more importantly, we’re so excited for what we think will be some of his best days ahead on the bench.”
Kansas is set to play Louisville in an exhibition at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CDT. The game can be streamed on ESPNU.
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