Bill Self sheds light on Kansas exit rumors to join Oklahoma
Bill Self has been the head coach of the Kansas men's basketball team since 2003. So far, he has led the Jayhawks to two national championships and 24 total Big 12 championships between regular season and tournament titles. Self has established himself as one of the most decorated Kansas men's basketball coaches, winning two AP Coach of the Year Awards as well.
However, on Friday, Tulsa World's Berry Thamel shocked fans by releasing a report that Bill Self almost left the program following the 2023-24 season. According to the report, when the Oklahoma State Cowboys parted ways with Mike Boynton, they had reached out to Self who contemplated making the move and departing to Stillwater.
During a press conference before their upcoming game against Oklahoma State, Self shed light on these reports. He confirmed that he had talks with the Cowboys about the possible transition. Self also said that he always had consistent discussions whenever a coaching position opened up in the program since the era of Eddie Sutton.
Insider Brett McMurphy shared Bill Self's comments in a post on X/Twitter:
"Kansas coach Bill Self, about report he seriously considered Oklahoma State job last year: 'I spoke to them, answered questions about the job & offered my opinion about what is needed to win in our league," Self told me. Which I have done every time the job has opened. They got the right guy [Steve Lutz]."
In the end, the Cowboys ended up hiring Steve Lutz as Boynton's replacement. He previously had served as the head coach of Western Kentucky and led them to a C-USA tournament championship, their first since joining the conference back in 2014.
Bill Self refutes claim of secluding himself at Karsten Creek Golf Club
According to the report by Berry Thamel, the Kansas Jayhawks head coach contemplated the offer made by the Cowboys by secluding himself at Karsten Creek. Self refuted these claims, saying that the only time he stayed in Stillwater was before any game that his team played:
"I also read in the article that I stayed, hold up at Karsten Creek. I have holed up in Stillwater before. But it's only been the night before we played a game. I haven't been in Stillwater to spend the night in over the past 20 years... Maybe I did 15 years ago or something, at some point of time at a reunion or something. But I haven't been there unless by team stayed there."
So far in his 22nd season with the Jayhawks, Self has tallied a 17-9 record. They are scheduled to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET at Allen Fieldhouse.