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Legendary college basketball coach Bill Self said Sunday he was uncertain about his future in the sport after the Kansas Jayhawks lost a buzzer-beater to the St. John’s.
Self said he wasn’t sure if he would return for another season. The 63-year-old has won two national championships in 23 seasons with the Jayhawks. But the last few years have been marred by heart problems and other health conditions.
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Kansas head coach Bill Self reacts as the team plays against California Baptist in the first half of the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“I’ve been going through some things off the field, so I want to come back and go with the family and visit and see what’s going on,” Self said. “I love what I do. I have to be able to do it where I feel good and healthy to do it reasonably well. I’ll come back home and it will all be discussed.”
Even missed a game in Colorado in January after taking a precautionary trip to the hospital. He also had two stents inserted into his heart in 2023, and two more last year.
When asked about his health Sunday, Self said he was unsure if he was “completely” healthy.
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Kansas head coach Bill Self yells at the field against St. John’s during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament second-round game Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“But I’m feeling — I’m feeling as good as I’ve been in a long time,” Self added. “I’m not going to make any statements. But every year, I think … when you get to do it, as long as I’ve been doing it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in multiple two-year increments, so to speak. So I’m trying to focus on this season and try to get us to another weekend that we didn’t do. So now I’ll see where it goes.”
The 2025-26 season ended with St. John’s guard Dylan Darling, who hit a game-winning layup as time expired in the second-round matchup.
“My career is not going to be based on one fight,” Self said when asked if it would be difficult to end his career with such a crushing defeat. “I said I would come back and evaluate my health situation.”
Self took over the Jayhawks’ job before the 2003-04 season after three successful years at Illinois. He is 648-166 as Kansas’ head coach. Kansas reached the NCAA Tournament in each season. He has only had five seasons in which he had at least 10 losses.
Kansas head coach Bill Self moves toward the field during the first half of a game between Kansas and St. John’s in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
