KU coach Bill Self says he’s ‘100%’ heading into school year after heart procedure
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Coach Bill Self reports full health after heart procedure, ready for practice.
- Kansas basketball begins limited practices as 2025-26 school year kicks off.
- Self plans morning practice schedule shift unrelated to recent health updates.
Bill Self, who had a pair of stents inserted in a heart procedure just three weeks ago at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, played a round of golf Friday morning before holding a back-to-school news conference Friday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
Per doctor’s orders, however, the 23rd-year KU basketball coach was told to use a cart and not carry his own golf bag around the course.
“I am feeling pretty good,” Self stated, noting he “did take three or four days off right after (the procedure).”
“They (doctors) have asked me and told me I probably could have some improvements in my lifestyle choices, primarily food and exercise. They said that is beneficial to feeling good and living a healthy life. They’ve got me doing some stuff. I’m probably doing as well as you can do,” added Self, who also had a pair of stents inserted at the start of the 2022-23 postseason.
Of his health, Self said emphatically, “I could coach a game tomorrow. I could have practice tomorrow. Back then (in March 2023), because of some complications I had, they didn’t want me doing anything for a while. From that standpoint, I feel I’m much further along (than after the prior stent procedure). If we practiced tomorrow, I’d be 100%. I’d be out there.”
The Jayhawks in fact will start practice Monday (four hours a week until the end of September when official preseason workouts begin), which is the first day of the 2025-26 school year.
Self said his surgeon told him, “you’ll probably feel better than what you did four weeks ago after you get back in a rhythm. The truth of the matter is there are some lifestyle things I have to be better at, but there’s also some good fortune that goes along with it, too.”
Self, 62, said he has not entertained any thoughts of taking an extended break from coaching.
He did speak to his doctor about his future, considering “I’ve had more stuff going on (health wise) that I haven’t gone public with what it is, and I’m not going to.”
“When we lost three out of four last February, yeah, I thought about it,” Self said with a smile, kidding about stepping down, “but from a health standpoint, no, I haven’t thought about that. I asked the surgeon, ‘Hey what do you think? Is this something that should change my way of thinking on stuff?’
“He said, ‘Do you love what you do?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Keep doing it.’ There hasn’t been any thought on that (early retirement).”
Self said there would be a change in the practice routine this year that has nothing to do with his health.
Not only would the two-week Boot Camp be held in the early morning hours, but practices would be set for morning this upcoming season.
Self said it was “to try something different.”
So the Jayhawks, except for meetings, weightlifting and classes, should be finished with their responsibilities before noon during the 2025-26 season.
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM.
