Kansas head coach Bill Self watches a replay during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas in Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay )
Kansas City, Mo. – Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self was admitted to the University of Kansas Hospital recovering from an illness.
According to a Kansas Athletics statement, “Self is doing well and receiving great care at the University of Kansas Health System.”
The Hall of Fame coach and two-time national champion will not be with the team at the Big 12 tournament today as the Jayhawks take on West Virginia at 2 p.m. at T-Mobile Center. It is unclear at this stage when he will be able to join the team.
A source with knowledge of Self’s condition told the Journal-World that the long-term prognosis is positive.
Freelance assistant Norm Roberts, who led the team through the first three games of the regular season while Self was serving a college-imposed suspension, will take over as the Jayhawks’ interim head coach.
Roberts, who previously served as St. John’s head coach from 2004 to 2010 and also at his alma mater Queens College from 1991 to 1995, led Kansas to three wins in three tries earlier this season, including a victory at the Champions Classic against Duke. in Indianapolis.
Self was with the Jayhawks at the team’s open practice at T-Mobile Center on Wednesday afternoon and met with the media for about 15 minutes after practice ended.
He appeared to be in normal condition and was in good spirits about the start of the playoffs and KU’s desire to make another run at a national title later this month.
“We talked about it a lot,” Self said Wednesday at the start of the Jayhawks’ playoff series. “We talked about we’re going to Kansas City to try to get in a position to win this thing, but knowing we better take it one game at a time. But I didn’t focus on winning. I emphasized let’s play our best. What the tournament does (Big 12), it can validate what your regular season has been. And this is the time to validate it.
The Jayhawks (25-6) won the Big 12 regular season title by one game against Texas and entered Kansas City this week, in good position to be the No. 1 seed. 1 of the NCAA Tournament next week.
All of this, however, likely put a damper on the Jayhawks head coach’s health.
Self is 581-130 in his 20 seasons in charge of the Jayhawks and 788-235 in his 30 seasons as head coach, which included stops at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois before Kansas.
He has long been considered one of the best coaches in the game, with one of the best winning percentages in NCAA basketball history, and was more recently considered the best active coach in basketball. ball with the recent retirements of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Villanova’s Jay Wright.
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Written by Matt Tait