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The Kansas Jayhawks ended the 2023-24 season on a sour note, losing to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 89-68, in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
The Bill Self-coached squad duplicated their second-round finish last season, a disappointing conclusion for a team that topped the 2023 Associated Press preseason rankings.
The injuries suffered by center Hunter Dickinson and top scorer Kevin McCullar in the latter part of the regular season struck a telling blow to Kansas' campaign, particularly in the tournament. They escaped Samford, 93-89, but were too wounded to handle another Bulldogs team in Gonzaga in the next round.
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Self, who is the highest-paid coach in the nation, finished the first year of his $53-million "lifetime contract" in disappointment.
If he ever opts to back out of his contract and retire, there are five likely candidates to replace Self next season. Below is the list of coaches that could likely take over if the 2017 Hall of Famer decides to call it a day for Kansas.
Top 5 candidates to replace Bill Self
#1 Bucky McMillan
The 40-year-old coach is the most likely contender to secure Self's job if the NCAA great calls it quits. From last place in 2020-21, McMillan turned Samford into a Southern Conference power in two years.
He guided the Bulldogs to two regular season titles in 2023 and 2024 and the SoCon Tournament crown this year. The tournament title gave Samford a slot in the NCAA Tournament, where they came close to beating No. 4 seed Kansas in the first round.
In four seasons with Samford, McMillan is 77-41 and could be perfect for the Jayhawks if Self decides to place his drawing board into the cabinet.
#2 Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse is raring to redeem himself from a disappointing season that led to his firing. A season after leading Vanderbilt to a 22-15 record that handed him the SEC Coach of the Year award, the former NBA veteran's coaching career went into a tailspin.
The Commodores finished the 2023-24 season at 9-23 and Stackhouse was fired afterwards. The former North Carolina standout ended his five-year stint with Vanderbilt at 70-92 and zero NCAA Tournament stints.
If hired by Kansas, it could benefit both parties as Stackhouse's desire to redeem himself for the 2024-25 season. He will be motivated enough to bounce back and his hunger to succeed is likely what the Jayhawks needed. His experience as a former NBA player could also be valuable for future Kansas recruits who want to try the big league after one year of college ball.
#3 Norm Roberts
Roberts is one of Self's trusted deputies in Kansas. The former Queens standout started his coaching career at his alma mater in 1991 and served four years there.
After this, he became an assistant coach for Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas before signing a deal to become St. John's head coach in 2004.
After his uneventful six-year stint with the Red Storm, he was hired as an assistant for Florida before returning to Kansas in 2012. He had a four-game stint as the Jayhawks' coach in 2022-23 season after Self was suspended for recruiting violations. He went 4-0 during that span. He was again tapped as acting head coach later that season after Self was hospitalized.
#4 Kurtis Townsend
The most senior of Self's assistant coaches, Townsend has been on the sidelines for 20 seasons. The Filipino-American is familiar with the team's system.
The 66-year-old Western Kentucky standout was hired as Kansas' assistant coach in 2004 and was part of the Jayhawks' championship teams in 2008 and 2022.
Townsend is also a recruiter for the Jayhawks program. He had a major role in recruiting former Kansas players Josh Jackson, Andrew Wiggins, Ben McLemore, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Julian Wright, Josh Selby, Sherron Collins, Frank Mason III and Devonte’ Graham.
#5 Eric Henderson
Henderson has been responsible for South Dakota State's NCAA surge in the past five seasons. Since he was hired in 2019, the Wayne State College alumnus has guided the Jackrabbits to four Summit League regular season titles and two stints in the NCAA Tournament, where he both lost in the first round.
In five years, Henderson had a 109-48 record and could be a breath of fresh air for Kansas if Self decides to call it quits.
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