Bill Self’s Latest Run at Kansas Proves He’s Far From Slowing Down

When Kansas opened conference play with two losses in its first three games, there were serious conversations about head coach Bill Self's future in Lawrence. It had become a recurring theme for his teams to crumble in Big 12 play, and by that point, KU had already fallen out of the national rankings.

The Jayhawks appeared well on their way to a third consecutive season with double-digit losses and seemed out of Big 12 contention. Between Darryn Peterson's injury fiasco and inconsistent results on the court, many genuinely wondered whether Self would retire following this season.

However, Self has bounced back in an unbelievable fashion over the past month. He has shown exactly why he is the greatest coach in Kansas basketball history, making it clear that he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

Bill Self Has Turned Around Kansas — and Potentially Extended His Career

Retirement rumors have followed Self for several years now, primarily due to his heart issues, which have hospitalized him multiple times in recent seasons. Now 63, Self is not considered old by coaching standards, but he certainly is not in the same mindset he was a decade ago.

What truly heightened the retirement conversations, though, were his struggles on the sidelines in recent years. KU has been a first weekend exit in the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons, and there was panic when the Jayhawks received the worst seeding of Self's tenure last March.

While this campaign initially appeared to be trending down a similar path, Self has orchestrated one of the greatest stretches of his coaching career over the past month. Kansas has rattled off eight consecutive victories — four over ranked opponents, and a pair coming against the previously undefeated No. 1 and 2 teams.

Most impressively, Self guided his team to a win last night despite Peterson being a late scratch. He crafted a game plan strong enough to not only take down the best team in the country, but to do so without the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on his side.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self walks off the court after defeating Arizona Wildcats 82-78 in the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of course, several factors played into that outcome, including the electric environment inside Allen Fieldhouse. But at the end of the day, it felt like a game the Jayhawks simply would not have won over the past couple of seasons.

Self has not dramatically changed his philosophy, remaining a defense-oriented coach who prioritizes half-court sets and runs his offense at a controlled pace. The difference is that he has adapted to the modern game rather than being stubborn and resisting it, something many older coaches have failed to do.

Time and time again, college basketball legends have stepped away due to the sport's constantly shifting landscape, particularly due to the prominence of the transfer portal and NIL. While many believe it has become too difficult to keep up with, Self has not wavered from his approach.

Instead, he appears to have finally mastered the portal, with some of his most impactful offseason additions arriving this year in Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White (and even Flory Bidunga, if you count his brief portal entry).

Ultimately, Self is once again proving why so few coaches in the history of the sport can rival him. Even at a time when the game appeared to be passing him by, he made the necessary adjustments to re-emerge as one of the nation's most brilliant basketball minds.