Is Bill Self Returning to Kansas? Why It’s Now Looking More Likely

Kansas basketball fans have been on the edge of their seats these past several days awaiting official word on what the future holds for head coach Bill Self.

Following the Jayhawks’ loss to St. John’s in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, the 23-year Kansas head coach suggested it may not be a foregone conclusion that he returns to Lawrence next season.

"I love what I do; I need to be able to do it where I'm feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well," Self told reporters following the St John’s loss. "I'll get back home, and it'll all be discussed."

Since then, it’s been a guessing game as to whether or not Self will return. Most of the chatter early last week among KU fans and others was that Self would step down, but he put those rumors to rest later in the week saying that a decision hadn’t been made.

And while an official decision has still yet to be made, there may now be reason for optimism that Self returns to Kansas for at least one more season.

Why a Return Now Seems Probable

For many years now, Self has referred to his role at KU as being merely a steward or caretaker of the storied program and tradition that is Kansas basketball. His long-term goal as head coach – besides winning basketball games – has been to leave the program better than he found it.

Self will not risk putting KU in a difficult spot by retiring at this moment unless he has no choice due to health reasons. And that’s what may happen if he does.

With the 15-day transfer portal window set to open for men’s college basketball players starting April 7, the Jayhawks would be at a severe disadvantage heading into this crucial recruiting period without a head coach as it’s highly unlikely that KU would fill the role in that short of time unless they have already chosen one of the current assistants – such as Jacque Vaughn – as the successor.

However, that scenario is doubtful due to Vaughn’s inexperience coaching on the college level and because of how important this hire is at a place like Kansas. They’d be doing themselves a disservice by not at least talking to or interviewing coaches outside of the program, and it would be a difficult sell to the Jayhawk faithful if they didn’t.

Self also likely wouldn’t want to put pressure on Kansas Athletics Director Travis Goff and the search committee that would be assembled (if it hasn’t already) to make a quick hire just to get ahead of the transfer portal, which they would need to do because the team would be almost certain to lose all of its current impact players and would be hard-pressed to get any of the top ranked transfers to commit.

They’d also likely see their top five high school recruiting class dissolve, causing more desperation to add players through the transfer portal.

If Self had announced his retirement last week, KU may have had time to hire his replacement and combat some of these challenges, but at this stage, it would make it very difficult for the Jayhawks to compete next year – and that could have ripple effects on the future of the program.

As the more time goes on without an announcement, the more likely it is that Self is back coaching on the Kansas sideline next season.