Bill Self’s decision to return for 24th season at KU draws reaction at Final Four
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Self met with family and doctors, then chose to return for year No. 24 at KU.
- Friends cite health management, routine changes and his competitive drive.
- Kansas will focus on recruiting, retaining players and navigating portal battles.
Bill Self’s decision to return to Kansas for a 24th season has been a hot topic for the early arriving media at this weekend’s Final Four in Indianapolis.
The Field of 68, which this season hired former KU assistant Norm Roberts as a regular panelist/analyst, addressed the situation Wednesday night, asking Roberts, one of Self’s closest friends, his reaction.
“I think he got together with his family, like he said he was going to do, talked with them extensively obviously — his wife (Cindy), two children (Lauren, Tyler) and grandchildren. And then I think talking to the doctors, too, I think made him feel comfortable in his decision (to return),” said Roberts, who coached on Self’s staffs at KU, Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts. That covers 22 seasons, 14 at KU.
“The other thing is that dude’s a fighter. That dude’s a winner. That dude is a competitor. He wants to be out there. I know he didn’t want to leave on what happened, even though it was a great play by St. John’s. He made a great shot, but I know he wanted to keep on coaching,” Roberts added.
Dylan Darling hit a buzzer beating layup to propel the Red Storm to a 67-65 second-round NCAA Tournament victory over the Jayhawks on March 22 in San Diego. After that game, Self said he would return to Lawrence, speak to family and his medical team before deciding whether to retire or enter year No. 24 as head coach at KU.
“The guy loves coaching. It’s in his blood. He’s done it for so long. They’re going to have a good team next year,” Roberts said. “Now, they’ve got to obviously add some pieces, retain some guys, and they’ll do that, but I think they’re going to be very good next year and I think he’s excited about getting back to business. I think the big thing for Bill Self was he’s competitive and he didn’t want to end like that.”
Another friend of Self’s, Green Bay coach/fellow Oklahoma State graduate Doug Gottlieb, offered several takes on the Field of 68 panel Wednesday night. Self announced his decision on social media site X while that show was in progress.
“As a fellow Oklahoma State alum, a guy who idolizes Bill Self, the game is better when he’s in it,” Gottlieb said. “He has had a ton of health issues that people don’t know about, but he loves ball, he loves KU and I think he wants to find just the right mix.
“And I think it’s a challenge to him. Some of the guys have left the game and I still think there’s probably going to be a retirement or two here in the next month. But I think Bill is like, ‘I want to figure it out. I want to figure out how to win in the portal era. You know, Kelvin Sampson has figured it out, why can’t I?’ And I think that challenge is what motivates him. And like you said, he doesn’t want to go out the way they did in the first weekend. He wants to play in the Final Four in Detroit next year.”
Noted national basketball writer Jeff Goodman: “The game is better with Bill Self, not just as a coach but as a guy.”
Goodman admitted to Roberts he was concerned about Self in terms of health. The coach has had heart problems that first surfaced in the fall of 2022.
“I would tell you this. He’s gotten so much better at eating right, exercising, doing the things that his doctors are telling him, paying attention to his body, and even in coaching, stepping back a little bit,” Roberts said.
At his medical team’s recommendation, KU practiced in the early morning this season instead of later in the afternoon into the early evening.
“They did some of that so he could relax, not so he could golf all the time,” Roberts said. “He would spread out the day more rather than being up there at 11:30 every night (after arriving at 9 a.m.). He’s trying to do it a different way, pay attention to his health even more.”
Roberts conceded that during the first few days of Self’s 10-day deliberation period (before announcing his return to KU Wednesday) he thought there was a chance Self might elect to retire. He said the longer the deliberation period and the more “due diligence he did,” it was likely Self would stay in coaching.
Roberts said “yes” when asked if he was “happy” at how this has turned out.
“Believe me, the Kansas people, too. I know them well, too. There was no pushing him out. There was no pushing him out,” Roberts repeated. “He’s going to go when he wants to go. But I think it’s a situation where, I think he did what he does every year. He evaluates, sees how it is, then he goes back. (This time) he did his due diligence by going to the doctors, doing all that stuff.”
Next up for Self and his staff will be trying to wrap up a strong high school recruiting class that could grow to five players if KU lands the No. 1 player in the class of 2026, wing Tyran Stokes of Rainier Beach High in Washington. KU, Kentucky and Oregon remain his finalists, though analysts say Washington and Gonzaga could still be in the running.
Then there will be replacing the players who elect to enter the NBA Draft and/or leave in the transfer portal, and indications are there will be roster movement.
“We call it ‘portal combat.’ It’s portal combat, every day and every team in America is doing it,” Roberts said, ostensibly referring to discussion about players around the country who have said they will be leaving one school for another.
“Obviously, they’ve got to retain some guys — Flory Bidunga, hopefully, if he doesn’t go to the league. Bryson Tiller because that’s so important to bring back guys,” Roberts continued. “I think they have a terrific recruiting class, I do. Taylen Kinney (point guard, Overtime Elilte program), I really like him. He’s going to be terrific. I think they’ve got some shooters. They’ve got some athletes. I think Coach wants to get back to being the most athletic team on the floor, which at times they were this year, and then just get back to getting some guys that are just hard, tough, go after it guys. ... Coach does his best with those (players).”
