Bill Self Makes Honest Admission About Oklahoma State Coaching Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 2:54 PM ET

Last year, the head coach position at Oklahoma State opened up after Mike Boynton was after seven seasons with the program. Before Steve Lutz eventually accepted the position in April 2024, Kansas head coach Bill Self was rumored to be a possible candidate for the position.

Self has been with the Jayhawks since 2003, leading the program to 21 straight NCAA tournament appearances and winning two national championships.

On Friday, Self clarified to The Action Network's Brett McMurphy what happened after reporting revealed the Cowboys came close to hiring him last season.

“I spoke to them, answered questions about the job & offered my opinion about what is needed to win in our league,” Self said.

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…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) February 21, 2025

“Which I have done every time the job has opened. They got the right guy (in Steve Lutz). I did join Karsten Creek, one of the country’s top golf courses, as an out-of-area member, but I’ve never spent a night close to Stillwater in the last 20 years unless my team was playing there.”

This year, the Jayhawks are 17-9 and rank sixth in the Big 12. Kansas has lost five of its last eight games and lost by 34 points to BYU on Tuesday.

A two-time AP College Coach of the Year, Self is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: