Bill Self refutes report about interest in Oklahoma State job, stay at Karsten Creek

Bill Self is refuting a report that he was “seriously considering” an offer to move on from Kansas and become Oklahoma State‘s next head coach prior to the Cowboys’ eventual hiring of Steve Lutz.

According to Tulsa World columnist Berry Tramel, Self “was holed up in a lodge at Karsten Creek, seriously considering the [Cowboys’] offer,” prior to deciding to return to the Jayhawks. It led to Oklahoma State delaying Lutz’s eventual introductory press conference five days, as they attempted a last-ditch full-court press to convince Self.

Speaking with Brent McMurphy of The Action Network, Self revealed he did speak with the Cowboys, but he did not have interest in the job when it opened. He also pushed back on the notion that he spent the night considering an offer from Oklahoma State.

“I spoke to them, answered questions about the job & offered my opinion about what is needed to win in our league,” Self told McMurphy. “Which I have done every time the job has opened. They got the right guy (in Steve Lutz).

“I did join Karsten Creek, one of country’s top golf courses, as an out of area member but I’ve never spent a nite close to Stillwater in last 20 years unless my team was playing there”

All told, it’s easy to see why Oklahoma State would have interest in trying to convince Self, an OSU alumnus, to leave the Jayhawks after 21 seasons in Lawrence to return to his alma mater. Evidently, Self was more than loyal to Kansas though, if you take him at his word via McMurphy.

Moreover, this news has taken on a new life over the past couple of days, on the heels of Self and the No. 23 Jayhawks (18-9, 8-7 Big 12) hosting Oklahoma State (13-13, 5-10) at 4 pm ET on Saturday from the famed Allen Fieldhouse.

The 62-year-old Self, a 1985 graduate of Oklahoma State and an Oklahoma native, has the No. 23 Jayhawks in the midst of a rollercoaster 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have struggled in Lutz’s inaugural season, including dropping seven of their first nine Big 12 games this season.

Self played for late Oklahoma State coach Paul Hansen in the early 1980s before taking an assistant coaching opportunity at Kansas during the 1985-86 season. Self returned to Oklahoma State as an assistant under Leonard Hamilton from 1986-1990 and was then retained by Cowboy legend Eddie Sutton before being hired as Oral Roberts‘ head coach in 1993.

Alas, Bill Self holds a 832-251 career coaching record, including a 605-144 record in 22 seasons at Kansas. He’ll continue soldiering on with the Jayhawks, and looking to get a win over Oklahoma State this weekend, putting these rumors to bed.

— On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this article.