Bill Self has eyebrow-raising comments about his future mere days after inking record deal.
Bill Self has been the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks for more than 20 seasons.
He’s been a college basketball head coach since 1993, and his coaching career technically goes all the way back to 1985, when he was on Larry Brown’s coaching staff at Kansas as an assistant.
That’s a long time to be a coach, and Self’s run with Kansas, specifically, has been legendary. He’s won two national championships, both with the Jayhawks.
In fact, his top-ranked Kansas team is only two seasons removed from winning it all.
Self has been such a legend for KU that the university recently gave him a full-time contract that made him the highest-paid coach in college basketball.
He’ll make more than $13 million this season and $53 million over the next five seasons. For what it’s worth, he told the media on Thursday that he’s not sure how many more seasons he has left in him as a coach.
“Yeah, I think I’m just getting started,” Self said when asked about the status of his long career, via On3, which apparently elicited a laugh. “Hell no. I’m not only on the back nine, I’m on the back three or four.”
Although he doesn’t think he’s got another decade left in the tank, it is worth noting that “the back three or four” could still net the Jayhawks quite a few more good seasons.
“Could I do it or another 23 years? No, nor would I want to. But could I do it for several more? Absolutely,” Self said. “But I don’t have a time frame on when the end is, but I’d say closer to two-thirds than one-third.”
Kansas kicked off its regular season earlier this week with a 99-56 over North Carolina Central.