A Bill Self farewell tour at KU? Some have warmed up to that idea
Kansas basketball fans have gone through an emotional ringer the past few days.
The loss to St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament ended the Jayhawks’ season and that stung. Then coach Bill Self said he would take a few days to decide whether to return for another season or retire.
Self, who has been dealing with health issues since 2022, has led Kansas to a pair of national championships during his 23 seasons in Lawrence. KU has won 16 Big 12 titles and made the NCAA Tournament every single year in that span.
It’s been the most successful stretch in Jayhawks basketball history.
But Kansas has failed to advance to the Sweet 16 the last four seasons, and some Jayhawks fans hope Self will consider coming back for one final season. A farewell tour, if you will.
“Hear me out,” a fan named Adam Sullivan wrote on X. “Use the 300 million from Booth to build the most ridiculous roster possible. Bring back DP. Go get everyone. Go 40-0. Then Bill rides off into the sunset.”
“I am now team one more year for Bill Self,” wrote X user 1912jayhawk. “Farewell tours can be cringeworthy. But he would handle it with class and he deserves the recognition. Blank check for the roster. Go out swinging.”
“Fully co-sign this,” wrote Lukas Fitzpatrick on X. “Give him every ... dollar for the roster he wants. Worst case scenario it’s another season like this one and you’ve proven you will open up the nil checkbooks to potential candidates and best case scenario it’s a national championship.”
Drew Matthews shared this: “Bill Self is the greatest coach the University of Kansas has hired in any sport. ONE MORE YEAR BILL!”
On Reddit, a fan wrote: “I’m hoping he sticks around for this last year with the recruiting class we have coming in, he deserves to go out better than this and the last 3 seasons aren’t a fitting send off at all. If he chooses to hang it up I’ll definitely miss him a lot he has also been a constant fixture for me ever since I started watching KU as a child. If anyone deserves to choose how he leaves it’s Bill, whether that’s bowing out now or later. No matter his choice he’s the greatest to ever do it for KU, and one of the greatest to ever coach in the game period.”
X user Andrew Curtis wrote: “One more year. One more deep run. 🥹🙏🐐”
“I just want one more year,” wrote X user Phoggy Fresh. “I’ll take all that Self wants to give, but I want at least one more.”
Another dreamed big, writing: “Bill. Announce you’re doing a final year. DP decides to give Bill a proper send off for having his back all year. TK DP Stokes Tiller Bidunga Bill ends with another Natty.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 9:51 AM.
