Kansas' Bill Self Denies Rumors of Succeeding Gregg Popovich as Spurs Head Coach

University of Kansas head men's basketball coach Bill Self recently shot down speculation that he is in line to succeed Gregg Popovich as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

During a College Hoops Insiders interview with Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster (h/t Tom Orsborn of MySanAntonio.com), Self addressed his relationship with Spurs CEO R.C. Buford before denying that he will be the Spurs' next head coach:

"If I know anybody, I probably know R.C. Buford. He showed me around [during] my recruiting visits to Oklahoma State, he was responsible for getting me up here primarily as a graduate assistant at Kansas, I lived with him for a year, he was in my wedding and I was in his wedding, his son played for me, my son now works for him. I think I know 'Boof' pretty well. And I will promise you, this has never been broached one time, never even discussed at all.

"So, people may say whatever because we are buddies, which we are, and proud of that. But I am not going to be the next coach of the San Antonio Spurs, nor would he want me to be. I mean, they got arguably the greatest coach of all time that still has got a lot of gas in the tank. So, that is a rumor I know some people have said, but that is a pretty ridiculous one right there."

At 26-34 this season, the Spurs' 22-year playoff streak is in danger of coming to an end. That, coupled with Popovich's age (71), has led to plenty of talk that his coaching career is nearing its conclusion.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski fueled the rumors by reporting in 2018 that Popovich was expected to stop coaching after leading the United States Men's National Basketball Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

While the Spurs have struggled in 2019-20, Self has led Kansas to the No. 1 national ranking during a topsy-turvy college basketball season.

The Jayhawks are 26-3 with a 15-1 mark in Big 12 play, and they own victories over the likes of No. 4 Baylor, West Virginia and reigning national runner-up Texas Tech, to name a few.

This is old hat for the 57-year-old Self, as he owns a 499-109 record in his 17 seasons at Kansas with 14 regular-season Big 12 titles, eight Big 12 tournament titles and trips to the NCAA tournament in each of his years at the helm.

The Jayhawks have reached the Elite Eight or better eight times under Self, and the Final Four or better three times, including a national championship in 2008.

In six combined seasons at Tulsa and Illinois prior to taking the job at Kansas in 2003, Self reached the NCAA tournament five times as well, including two trips to the Elite Eight.

Self has proved over the years that he is one of the best basketball coaches in the world, so if and when Popovich decides to retire, it would make plenty of sense for the Spurs to inquire about his interest, especially given his relationship with Buford.

Although the Spurs have long been considered the NBA's model franchise with six trips to the NBA Finals and five championships, they don't necessarily present a better situation than Kansas.

The Spurs have two borderline All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, plus some promising young players in Derrick White, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV, but without any obvious superstars in place, it will be tough for them to truly contend anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Kansas is always in the national title mix, and the prestige of the program gives Self a huge advantage on the recruiting trail.

Perhaps Self will eventually want to try his hand at the NBA and buck the recent trend of college coaches struggling with the transition, but when comparing where Kansas and the Spurs stand currently, it is tough to envision Self making a change in the near future.