Report: Kansas' Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend to Serve Self-Imposed 4-Game Suspension

The University of Kansas reportedly self-imposed a four-game suspension for men's basketball head coach Bill Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Stadium's Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday the punishment, which relates to an ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged violations within the program that began in 2017, also includes future recruiting restrictions.

Norm Roberts will serve as the Jayhawks' acting head coach until Self returns, per Goodman.

In August, the NCAA announced it would dissolve the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) once it completed all the ongoing investigations, including the one into KU. All the changes are scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1.

Despite the upcoming alterations to the governing body's review process, no timetable for the NCAA's final ruling in the Kansas case has been announced.

In May 2020, the NCAA enforcement staff announced its investigation into the five Level I violations showed "egregious" and "severe" rules violations by Self and Townsend, who allegedly "embraced, welcomed and encouraged" Adidas representatives to persuade highly rated recruits to sign with the Jayhawks, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

More than two years after that statement, the case remains unsettled.

Self has led the Kansas program since 2003, which ties him for the 10th-longest-tenured head coach in men's college basketball.

The 59-year-old Oklahoma native has compiled a 556-124 record (.818 winning percentage) across 19 seasons with the Jayhawks. He led the team to national championships in 2008 and 2022.

His nearly four-decade coaching career also includes stops as the head coach at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois before arriving to Kansas.

Townsend, 64, joined KU's coaching staff in 2004.

The fifth-ranked Jayhawks are scheduled to open their title defense Monday night at home against Omaha. Self and Townsend will also miss games against North Dakota State, seventh-ranked Duke and Southern Utah.

They'll be eligible to return for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Kansas' first game in the event is a Nov. 23 clash with NC State.