University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has confirmed he will continue leading the Jayhawks program through the 2026-27 season, following conversations with his family about his coaching career.
The 63-year-old coach expressed his continued passion for guiding the Jayhawks toward championship success.
“Jayhawk Nation, with renewed clarity and the ongoing support from our administration, I remain focused and committed to Kansas Basketball competing for a National Championship,” Self stated in a university social media post. “I look forward to seeing and hearing the best fans in college basketball next season at Allen Fieldhouse.”
Self has captured two national championships across his 23-year tenure at Kansas, beginning his leadership role in 2003. However, recent years have brought significant health challenges for the veteran coach.
During 2023, Self was sidelined from both the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments due to serious cardiac complications. Medical procedures included inserting two stents to address blocked arteries.
Additional cardiac stents were placed in July 2025.
This past January, Self required hospitalization at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after experiencing illness, receiving intravenous treatment and missing the team’s road game against Colorado.
Following Kansas’s 24-11 season that ended with a second-round NCAA Tournament defeat to St. John’s, Self had indicated he would consult with family members before determining his future plans.
Under Self’s guidance, the Jayhawks claimed national championships in 2008 and 2022. However, since that most recent title, Kansas has compiled a 68-35 record across three consecutive seasons with double-digit losses, marking the first such stretch since the late 1980s.
Self’s Kansas record stands at 648-167, with NCAA Tournament appearances in every season of his tenure.
His overall coaching record reaches 855-272, including previous positions at Oral Roberts from 1993-97, Tulsa from 1997-2000, and Illinois from 2000-2003.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Self in 2017.
