Bill Self Comments on Kansas’ Addition of Assistant Coach Tony Bland

Bill Self made another addition to the Kansas Jayhawks coaching staff this week with the hiring of Washington assistant coach Tony Bland.

Bland brings strong recruiting ties to the West Coast and connections to prospects such as 5-star forward Tajh Ariza, whom he coached during his tenure at St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles, California.

His hiring comes as a corresponding move to the depa rture of Chase Buford, who spent one season with the Jayhawks before recently accepting an assistant coaching job with the Denver Nuggets.

While ESPN broke the news on Tuesday, KU did not officially break the news until Wednesday afternoon.

"Tony is a very, very talented young coach, who is a proven winner," Self wrote in the university's press release. "He was a very good player at Syracuse and at San Diego State and he played a big role in the success at San Diego State and USC as an assistant coach. I believe in him wholeheartedly, and our basketball program just got better with his addition."

The former college basketball standout has spent time as an a ssistant at UW, as well as at his alma mater San Diego State and USC. He becomes the second new piece to KU’s staff this offseason, joining former KU player and NBA head coach Jacque Vaughn on the sidelines in Lawrence.

Now, Bland will work alongside Vaughn, Kurtis Townsend, Jeremy Case, and Joe Dooley as part of Self’s assistant unit.

MORE: What Kansas Basketball’s Coaching Staff Looks Like After Tony Bland Hire

Kansas completed what was described as an extensive background check on Bland, who was involved in the 2017 FBI investigation into college basketball.

He was fired from USC in 2018 and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, but the school cleared him as a safe addition to the program.

Bland will look to play a key role in helping the Jayhawks bounce back in the 2025-26 season behind star freshman and projected top-3 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson.

"I'm beyond blessed to join the Kansas Jayhawks and work alongside coach Self," Bland added in the press release. "He is one of the greatest to ever do it, and his belief in me means everything. I'm excited to learn from him and work with the entire coaching staff.

"Kansas has the best fans in college basketball, and I can't wait to pour my heart into this program and the Lawrence community, while working hard to keep Kansas Basketball at the top of the sport," Bland concluded.