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Bill Self answers if he will require his successor to have ties to Kansas, his career

Danby: Daniel Hager07/31/25DanielHagerOn3
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© Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Kansas head coach Bill Self has been a staple in the college basketball world for the past 28 years. His head coaching career began at Oral Roberts before he moved to Tulsa, then Illinois, then ultimately Kansas. He is entering his 22nd season as the head coach in Lawrence, where he boasts a 609-148 record with two National Championships.

Now 62 years old, Self joined CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein to discuss his potential successor at Kansas. When Self ultimately decides to retire, the Jayhawks will be hiring a head coach for the first time since 2003.

“You know what I think,” Self started. “I hope we hire the best guy that gives Kansas the best chance to have the best basketball future moving forward. Would I love for that guy to be one of my guys? Absolutely. Or have ties to Kansas? Absolutely. In a perfect world, yes. The answer is an emphatic yes. But at the end of the day, you know what I would probably hope? If that guy has ties… that’s fantastic. If he doesn’t have ties, go get the best guy that can take this program, hopefully even to another level. I think that’s the goal that we have.”

“I can certainly see keeping it in the family, so to speak, but the reality of it is that you don’t do that at the expense of taking a step backwards. And right now, I think I’ve got a guy or two on my staff that would be fantastic. But timing is everything and they could have kept in the family whenever Roy [Williams] left. I don’t want to speak for others, but from my vantage point, it’s worked out decent.”

Bill Self was hospitalized last week with ‘concerning symptoms’

This is ultimately true, as hiring from within has worked both negatively and positively for many college programs. Kentucky and North Carolina‘s hirings of alumni Mark Pope and Hubert Davis have worked well, but Louisville and Indiana‘s hiring of alumni Kenny Payne and Mike Woodson have crashed and burned.

“You look at others that keep it in the family and it’s worked out great. But then you look at scenarios where it doesn’t work out great both ways. So I don’t know that you can say positively what needs to happen before you actually know the situation and the candidates that could potentially be involved.”

Self was hospitalized and subsequently released from LMH Health last Saturday after experiencing “some concerning symptoms”. He also underwent a heart procedure and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Okmulgee, OK native had two stents inserted during the procedure, Kansas said. He wasn’t feeling well and later went to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for further evaluation. The head coach released a statement on the matter following his release.

“I want to thank all the amazing doctors and nurses at LMH Health for the excellent care I received during my stay there,” Self said. “I feel strong and am excited to be home. Our team has had a productive summer and look forward to our batteries being recharged and prepping for this upcoming season.”

Kansas opens its 2025 season in an exhibition matchup against Louisville. The game will be played on Oct. 24.