Over the past few years, Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self has dealt with adversity on and off the court. In a frank interview with The Athletic's CJ Moore (subscription required), Self discusses several topics, among them how he wants to leave the college game once that time comes.
Kansas won the national championship in 2022. That seems so long ago. Since then, the Jayhawks have struggled by their standards. Since that title win, KU is 96-43. Still pretty good! That said, the last three seasons are three of only five double-digit loss seasons for Self at Kansas.
KU also is 33-23 in the Big 12 over the last three years. That is more conference losses than KU had the previous five seasons combined. Even worse, the Jayhawks haven't made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since winning it all in 2022.
As bad as that all seems, College Basketball Report still has Kansas ranked as the sixth-best college program over the past five seasons. Sure, that time frame includes the championship season, but most programs would love to have a “down period” as good as this.
Ranking the Top 25 College Basketball programs over the past five seasons 📊 pic.twitter.com/7fFugqa0Pr
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) May 18, 2026
Not only has Self had to battle poor performances on the court and a readjustment period due to the quick-paced NIL era in recruiting, but he's also had to overcome some health issues. Last summer, he had a procedure for a heart issue, and he missed a conference game this winter.
How would Kansas basketball coach Bill Self like to leave the sport he loves?
In his interview for The Athletic, Self told Moore about his decision to come and coach the Jayhawks. Simply put, Self wants to leave on his terms and doesn't want to be forced out because of bad health.
He will coach the Jayhawks as long as he has the drive and motivation to do so, but he also wants to maintain his health. It is a fine line, and he has consulted medical professionals to be certain it would be safe for him to continue.
As Self pointed out in the interview, last season ended on an incredibly sour note, losing on a poorly defended last-second shot to St. John's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Of course, that would stick with a coach like Self. He knows his team was better than that, and so he wants to make another run with a completely overhauled roster.
The roster for next season is almost complete, and it has a chance to be excellent. He's added four tough, experienced players through the portal and has a massive class of seven talented freshmen, including top prospect Tyran Stokes. In addition, two players who played last season have returned.
Self doesn't know how much longer he will coach at Kansas. It could be one more year, five, or ten, but regardless, he will do it as long as he loves it and he is in good health. KU fans are fortunate to have such a great coach, and they will be glad for however many seasons he has left. Hopefully, he can leave on his terms.
Add us as a preferred source on Google