Coach Bill Self sends wholesome message to Kansas assistant coach ahead of new phase of life: “He has done a fantastic job and will be missed”

Kansas coach Bill Self will need to handle coaching next season without a longtime member of his staff. On Thursday, Fred Quartlebaum, also known as Coach Q, announced on Instagram that he will not be returning to the team.

"Came with a dream, but leave with a deeper purpose. The hope is to leave it better than you found it. ROCK CHALK."

Coach Q had been a member of the Jayhawks staff since 2013. He has held the position of Director of Basketball Operations since 2020.

Shortly after Coach Q made his announcement, Bill Self sent him a wholesome message.

"Q has been with us for the last 12 seasons and has been very involved in many aspects of our program, but primarily as the liaison between our staff and community relations," Self said in a statement.

"He's been the primary person in charge of working with the players and developing a culture within our program. He has done a fantastic job and will be missed. I'm excited for him and (his wife) Christy as they move into another phase in their lives."

Coach Q has been part of the team for more than half of Bill Self's tenure with the Jayhawks. Self was hired as the team's head coach in 2003 and Coach Q was brought in 10 years later. They won a national championship together in 2022.

Bill Self speaks out in support of expansion to the NCAA Tournament

The Big 12 is holding spring meetings at the Waldorf Astoria at Walt Disney World in Florida. One of the topics being discussed is the possible expansion of the NCAA Tournament from 68 to 72 or 76 schools. On Wednesday, Self expressed support for the expansion.

"The consensus among the coaches –even though it was discussed very little– was we’d be in favor of that," Self said.

Self is not the first Big 12 official to support an expanded tournament field. In March, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told reporters he was in favor of expanding the field to 76 teams.

The format of March Madness has stayed fairly consistent for several decades. In 1985, the 64-team format was adopted and it did not expand to 68 teams until 2011. Things have not changed in the 14 years since. Adding possibly eight more teams would be a huge shift.