LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) 鈥� Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is returning for a 24th season with the Jayhawks.
The program on Wednesday confirming his return for another year with the program he has led to 21 regular-season conference championships, four Final Fours and a pair of national championships.
鈥淲ith renewed clarity and the ongoing support from our administration, I remain focused and committed to Kansas Basketball competing for a national championship,鈥� Self said. 鈥淚 look forward to seeing and hearing the best fans in college basketball next season at Allen Fieldhouse.鈥�
The 63-year-old Self has a record of 840-272, not including the 15 wins that were vacated by the NCAA, putting him 12th on the career list. He passed Phog Allen as the winningest coach at Kansas with a 77-69 win over Michigan State on November 12, 2024, and finished with a record of 633-167 while leading one of college basketball鈥檚 most storied programs.
Kansas’ season ended March 22 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks rallied from a 13-point deficit with 7 1/2 minutes left, tying it with 13.1 seconds to go, only for the Red Storm鈥檚 Dylan Darling to hit a layup as time expired to end their season.
The Jayhawks have not survived the opening weekend of the tournament since 2022, when Self won his second national title.
鈥淚鈥檝e gone through some stuff off the court, so I鈥檒l get back and get with family and visit and see what鈥檚 going on,鈥� Self said following the loss in San Jose, California. 鈥淚 love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I鈥檓 feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I鈥檒l get back home and it will all be discussed.鈥�
Self’s health has been a factor to monitor.
He was hospitalized just before the Big 12 Tournament in 2023 after feeling unwell, and had two stents inserted into his heart, which forced him to miss the NCAA tourney. Self had two more stents inserted last year, and this past January, he missed a game at Colorado after doctors advised him not to travel following a precautionary trip to the hospital.
鈥淲hen you get to be doing it as long as I鈥檝e done it, I looked at it in five-year increments. Now I鈥檓 probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend 鈥� which we failed at 鈥� so I鈥檒l go back now and break it down and see where that leads.鈥�
Self won national titles at Kansas in 2008 and 2022. And he’s been especially good at Allen Fieldhouse, historically one of college basketball鈥檚 toughest venues. He is 27-6 against top-10 opponents at home, and his 131-81 record against Top 25 opposition is the third-best winning percentage among Division I coaches.
He also has sent 43 players to the NBA, and more could be on the way. Darryn Peterson is expected to be among the first three players to hear his name called in June, while Flory Bidunga and others could also be selected in the upcoming NBA draft.
Self was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
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