Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self shut down speculations about his retirement, Kansas City Star’s Gary Bedore reported on Wednesday. The college football insider stated in a post on X that Self provided no update concerning his future with Kansas, calling retirement rumors “bad info.”
Self’s Kansas crashed out of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday after losing 67-65 to St. John’s in the second round of the tournament.
“Bill Self tells me as of now there is no news to report regarding his decision,” Bedore wrote on X. “In fact he told me “b.s., bad info” referring to some comments out there. That’s as of now from the head coach.”
Bill Self did not have a defined response to questions about his future following Sunday’s loss to St. John’s. The 63-year-old coach told reporters that his health will be a big factor in his decision.
“I love what I do,” he said. “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.”
Bill Self’s health issues and tenure at Kansas
Self has faced multiple health challenges in recent years. The coach went through a “standard heart catheterization” in 2023 following complaints of chest tightness. He was subsequently absent from the Jayhawks’ bench during that year’s postseason.
He was hospitalized again in July 2025, as he underwent a procedure to insert two stents into his heart. He had another visit to the hospital in January as a cautionary measure for being under the weather, according to Kansas.
However, the coach has reassured fans that he feels as good as he’s felt in a while in his Sunday press conference. Bill Self has become the face of the Kansas Jayhawks, coaching the team since his arrival to coach the program in 2003. He has since compiled a 634-167 record, leading the Jayhawks to two national championships.
Kansas finished behind Houston and Arizona in the Big 12 standings this season, compiling a 24-11 overall record and 12-6 against conference opponents. The Jayhawks have not made it to the Final Four since 2022, when they last won the national championship.
Bill Self penned an amended lifetime deal with the Jayhawks in 2023, which made him the highest-paid coach in college basketball. He is set to earn $53 million through five years, according to the deal.
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Edited by Kayode Akinwumi
