Bill Self explains mindset after making decision to return to Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks head basketball coach Bill Self wasn't ready to walk away. He's 63 years old and has dealt with multiple health scares. He's been coaching college basketball since 1993 (since 1985 as an assistant), and he's won two national championships. Self has seemingly done it all in the sport, but he still feels he has something left in the tank. He considered retirement after the 2025-26 season, but ultimately, he was more concerned about his health than anything else. Self has two stents inserted last July after a heart scare, and he missed a game in January due to being hospitalized out of an abundance of caution. In a sitdown with CJ Moore of The Athletic, the longtime Kansas coach revealed that his doctors feel he's in a good place, though. When he does retire, he doesn't want his health to be involved. “I wanted to certainly continue to do what I love," Self explained. "And if I do make a decision not to do this, it will not be because of my health.” So what will play a role in getting Self to step away from college basketball? It sounds like it has to do with maintaining his passion for the game and for coaching, and according to Moore's evaluation of the head coach, he still has it. Self knows he won't be able to coach forever, but retirement may not be as imminent as many had previously thought it would be for him. “I don’t look at it as year-to-year, but I may not look at it in five-year increments anymore either,” Self said. “I probably look at it more as, hey, as long as I’m feeling good and enjoying it, I want to keep doing this. And so that’s where I’m at. I don’t see anything that says it’s imminent. And I don’t see anything to say it’s 10 years from now. I’m just gonna keep doing it as long as I feel good and feel like I’m still effective.” Self is 855-272 overall as a college basketball head coach through stints at Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas. He's been with the Jayhawks since 2003 and has gone 648-167 with Kansas. Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!