Kansas Head Basketball Coach Bill Self Suspended Four Games

Kansas head basketball coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend have both been suspended for the first four games of the season after a 2017 FBI probe and subsequent NCAA investigation that found multiple programs paid recruits to attend their schools. 

The penalties for Self and Townsend were self-imposed by Kansas. Assistant Norm Roberts will serve as interim coach in Self's absence. 

"Coach Townsend and I accept and support KU's decision to self-impose these sanctions," Self said in a statement. "We are in good hands with Coach Roberts, and I am confident that he will do a great job on the bench leading our team. I am proud of the way our guys have handled this situation and I look forward to returning to he bench for our game against NC State."

Self and Townsend will miss three home games against Omaha, North Carolina State and Southern Utah. The two will also miss a big game against Duke in Indianapolis on Nov. 15. 

The sanctions also included recruitment restrictions for Self, Townsend and the school:

• Neither coach attended off-campus recruiting-related activities from April-July.

• Three total scholarships were cut that would be distributed over the next three years

• Official recruitment visits for next year were reduced by four.

• A six-week ban on recruiting communications.

• A six-week ban on unofficial visits.

• A 13-day reduction in recruiting days this year.

The Jayhawks won the national championship last year, beating North Carolina 72-69. 

The NCAA had originally charged Kansas with three Level I violations in 2019, mainly tied to the recruitment of Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa. Court documents stated that Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola “conspired to illicitly funnel approximately at least $90,000” to Preston's mother and Gassnola later admitted to sending De Sousa’s guardian $2,500.