Self dismisses Kansas retirement rumors as 'bad info'
Kansas head coach Bill Self denied rumblings suggesting he's decided to retire after 23 seasons with the Jayhawks.
"No news. All b.s.," Self wrote in a text message to The Kansas City Star's Gary Bedore on Wednesday. "Bad info."
There were rumors that the longtime Kansas boss was going to announce his retirement Wednesday, though a source close to the coach also told CBS Sports' Matt Norlander that was "bad information."
Speculation about Self's future intensified following the Jayhawks' 67-65 second-round loss to St. John's in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year revealed that he had not yet committed to returning to Allen Fieldhouse in 2026-27 due to concerns about his health. Self, 63, said he intended to make a decision once he spoke with his family.
The Kansas bench boss does not have a timeline for a decision, he told Bedore.
In 2023, Self had two stents inserted to treat blocked arteries near his heart and missed the Jayhawks' entire postseason. He had another two stents inserted in July 2025. Self missed a road game against Colorado this January after a precautionary trip to the hospital, where he received IV fluids after reporting feeling unwell.
"I've gone through some stuff off the court, so I'll get back and get with family and visit and see what's going on," Self said after Sunday's loss. "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 will all be discussed."
The Oklahoma native joined the Jayhawks ahead of the 2003-04 campaign and has since claimed two national titles in 2008 and 2022.
In his 23 total seasons at the helm, the only year in which Kansas did not play in the NCAA Tournament was 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Big 12 Tournament and March Madness. However, the Jayhawks were the top seed after winning the regular-season crown and likely would have received an at-large bid if they didn't win the conference tournament.
Self was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.