Kansas basketball coach Bill Self was hospitalized on Thursday, but is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement released by KU Athletics, as reported by Henry Greenstein from KUSports.com (subscription required).
Self had some health issues during the 2023 Big 12 tournament that caused him to miss a few games at the end of that season.
In those games, assistant coach Norm Roberts took over the game management duties in Self’s stead. Roberts retired earlier this year, so who might take over for Self if he needs to miss any games due to health reasons?
Who would take over for head coach Bill Self if he needed to miss a few games?
Self’s health is paramount, not just for the Kansas basketball team but for his own well-being and that of his family. While his recovery seems assured, everyone wants to be sure he is healthy and fully able to coach the Jayhawks.
If Self needed to miss a few games, who are the candidates to step in and run the show on an interim basis? Kurtis Townsend has been around the program as long as Self. Joe Dooley is a veteran Self staffer and has been a head coach relatively recently.
While Townsend seems like the logical choice, the addition of Jacque Vaughn to the staff brings a different kind of experience and expertise to the coaching staff.
Vaughn’s playing days at KU predate Self’s time in Lawrence. Roy Williams coached Vaughn at Kansas, so he won't be as familiar with Self's system yet. Vaughn has also never coached on the collegiate level, but he brings something entirely different to the staff. He played 12 seasons in the NBA, after which he went into coaching.
He’s spent parts of nine seasons as an NBA assistant and has 355 games as a head coach at the highest level. His most recent stint was during the 2023-24 season with the Nets.
If Self were to need an interim early in the season, Townsend is probably the choice, or maybe Dooley. Vaughn is intriguing, but he is still learning Self’s system and style, and Self would want someone who is in tune with Self and what the head man wants.
KU fans are wishing Self a speedy recovery and hope he can return to the sideline soon, in good health. Hopefully, the decision to have someone take over on an interim basis will not be necessary.