Bill Self will return to coach Kansas for the 2026-27 season, he announced on Wednesday. The Hall of Famer has been with the Jayhawks for the past 23 years, compiling a 648-167 overall record and winning two national championships (2008, 2022).
“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 said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing and hearing the best fans in college basketball next season at Allen Fieldhouse.”
There was speculation that Self, 63, might retire this offseason, which would have stirred even more chaos in an already wild coaching carousel. Self has dealt with chronic heart problems since 2023, undergoing multiple procedures. In January, he was briefly hospitalized after experiencing chest issues. He missed the Jayhawks’ game at Colorado on Jan. 20 before returning to the sideline.
Kansas had an up-and-down 2025-26 campaign (24-11, 11-6) in part due to injury woes. Sensational freshman Darryn Peterson was in and out of the lineup for several months. After the Jayhawks were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round by St. John’s (on Dylan Darling’s memorable buzzer beater), Self was asked about his coaching future.
“I haven’t really gone through much on the court. I’ve gone through some stuff off the court. So I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on,” he said. “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. I’ll get back home and it will all be discussed.”
When Self joined The Hoops HQ Show in mid-February, he opened up about how his health scares have changed the way he coaches and manages his days.
“I’d like to say that I’m stress-free now,” he said. “I actually believe that I don’t stress the things that I can’t control as much as I used to. We can all say whatever, that we’re relaxed or whatever, but I remember going back — I wanted to know, what was talked about at this meeting? How are we promoting this game? What’s our ticket sales look like? Okay, this, this, this and this. And in all honesty, if it doesn’t have anything to do with the meat and potatoes, hey — let it go. That’s somebody else’s job. And I think I’m getting better at that.”
Kansas will lose Peterson to the NBA, but the program has secured the commitment of another five-star guard in Taylen Kinney, as well as four-stars Davion Adkins (center), Trent Perry (forward) and Luke Barnett (wing). The Jayhawks also remain in contention to land forward Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2026. Stokes is expected to announce his decision soon.
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