The 62-year-old coach holds himself and his program to a high standard, and a 21-win campaign fell short of those expectations. Even so, Self enters his 26th year as a head coach with 836 career victories and plenty of motivation to add more.
His career has taken him from Oral Roberts to Tulsa, Illinois, and now Kansas, where he remains one of the longest-tenured and most respected coaches in college basketball. But after finishing 21–13 overall and 11–9 in Big 12 play, the Jayhawks placed sixth in the league for the second straight season. Inside the walls of Allen Fieldhouse, that reality has done nothing but add fuel to the fire.
The two-time national champion and four-time Final Four coach has not forgotten how to win. The two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year and six-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has simply gone back to what he does best: building a team in his image, with toughness, discipline, and a chip on its shoulder.
From Stillwater to Lawrence: The Making of a Coaching Legend
Before he became one of the game’s best, Self was a solid guard at Oklahoma State, where he played in 109 games and started 53. His scoring average was modest at 6.3 points per game, but he quickly earned a reputation as a leader who saw the floor like a coach. Though opportunities have surfaced over the years for him to return to Stillwater, he’s stayed put in Lawrence, keeping his focus on what he built.
Self’s rise began after leading Oral Roberts to the NIT in 1997. Tulsa came calling soon after, and he took the Golden Hurricane to two NCAA Tournaments in three seasons, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2000. That success landed him at Illinois, where he went 78–24 in three years, reaching the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 twice. When Kansas came knocking in 2003, it was the perfect match.
Now, as he heads into the 2025–26 season, Self sits tied with Tennessee’s Rick Barnes for 18th on the all-time wins list. Both men are chasing Steve Moore (867) for 17th, while legends like Adolph Rupp (876) and Dean Smith (879) sit just ahead. With 836 wins, Self is already in rare company, but the fire to climb higher still burns bright.
At 62 years old, a quick projection shows five more 20 win seasons for the Jayhawks would move Self ahead of Bob Huggins for 8th on the all time wins list. Let’s say Self coaches until he is 70, and does eight more seasons. 20 wins per season puts Self four wins shy of 1000 in his career, and sits in seventh all time behind Jim Boeheim, the former Syracuse leader. That would also mean a 40 year career as a head coach.
The Road Back to the Top
Kansas enters the new season with one of the top recruiting classes in the nation and key additions from the transfer portal. The pieces are there for a rebound year, and Self has made it clear that mediocrity will not be tolerated in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks open the 2025–26 campaign at home on November 3 against Doug Gottlieb and Green Bay. A major test follows just days later when they travel to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina on November 7.
After a year that tested the patience of the Kansas faithful, the energy inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse is already building. Jayhawk fans expect excellence, and Bill Self expects nothing less of himself. As another season approaches, one question remains: how far can he climb, and how much more history can he write before he’s done?