Bill Self Returns to Kansas Sidelines After Health Scare, Reflects on Watching Jayhawks Win from Afar
For the first time in a long time, Bill Self wasn’t pacing the sidelines during a Kansas basketball game. Instead, he was at home in west Lawrence, glued to his TV like the rest of us, watching his Jayhawks grind out a 75-69 win over Colorado in a tightly contested Big 12 showdown.
It was a rare sight - Self, the face of Kansas basketball for more than two decades, playing armchair quarterback while assistant coach Jacque Vaughn took the reins in Boulder. The decision came after Self experienced a health scare on Monday involving dehydration and an irregular heartbeat, which led to a precautionary hospital visit and a brief stay at LMH Health.
But if you think Self was calmly sipping tea and nodding along with every possession, think again.
“‘Sitting back’ would probably be a little bit of a stretch,” he joked. “Yelling may be a little bit of a stretch, too, considering I didn’t need to be doing that at the time. But I know now what it means to be an armchair quarterback - I sat there and watched and had all the answers.”
Self, who returned to work Wednesday, made it clear he’ll be back on the bench Saturday when Kansas faces Kansas State in Manhattan. And while he’s used to calling plays in front of 16,000 fans, watching from the couch offered a fresh perspective - one that many fans might find relatable.
“There are times where I probably agree 100% with them,” he said of fans who second-guess decisions from the couch. “Like, I’m watching and thinking, ‘They’re playing zone.
The middle is wide open. Why don’t we get to the middle?’
And that was something we emphasized the whole time. It just didn’t quite happen the way we wanted.”
That disconnect between strategy and execution - the space between drawing it up and getting it done - is something Self knows all too well. It’s also a reminder that even the best-laid plans can get lost in the chaos of a live game.
As for his health, Self didn’t shy away from the details. Speaking on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show, he shared how the episode unfolded just before the team was set to fly to Boulder.
“Right before our team was taking off, I started feeling some very abnormal chest issues,” he said. “And I’m thinking, based on what I’ve had before, ‘This can’t be good.’”
Self went to LMH Health, where doctors diagnosed him with dehydration and atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition he’s dealt with before. While not severe, the symptoms were enough to keep him grounded - literally.
“I said, ‘Can I go?’ And they’re going, ‘No, you can’t go,’” Self recalled.
“I’ve been checked out thoroughly and actually feel good. I was kind of relieved to know that it was what it was.
I’m good to go. No limitations.”
He emphasized that the incident won’t affect his ability to coach moving forward.
“I could have coached today. I could have coached last night,” he said.
“They just didn’t want me flying and being at altitude there. I’ll be back on the practice court without question.”
With Self sidelined, it was Jacque Vaughn - the former Kansas standout, NBA veteran, and head coach - who stepped in to lead the Jayhawks in Colorado. While associate head coach Jeremy Case holds the higher title, Self explained that Vaughn’s experience made him the right voice for a short-term assignment.
“Jeremy is our associate head coach, no doubt,” Self said. “But we were trying to win a game over a two-hour period of time. Jacque had the most head coaching experience of anybody, so that was the reason why.”
It wasn’t about titles or hierarchy. It was about who could guide the team in the moment - and Vaughn delivered.
Now, with the health scare behind him and a rivalry game ahead, Self is back where he belongs: on the hardwood, leading a Kansas team with big goals and even bigger expectations. And if nothing else, he’s got a newfound appreciation for the fans who shout at their TVs - because for one night, he was right there with them.