Kansas basketball assistant coach Joe Dooley has been suspended from his coaching duties for three weeks following an arrest over the weekend. Dooley was taken into custody on Saturday in Lawrence on suspicion of driving under the influence and failure to stop at an accident. The school confirmed the suspension on Monday.
“We are aware Assistant Coach Joe Dooley was arrested for driving under the influence,” head coach Bill Self said. “Joe exercised poor judgment and will be suspended for three weeks, effective immediately. Joe is remorseful, apologetic, and accepts the consequences of his actions.”
Dooley isn’t some new guy on staff. He’s a longtime figure in the Kansas basketball orbit and has been a part of multiple runs under Bill Self. He left for a head coaching job at East Carolina, came back to Kansas in 2023, and has been working behind the scenes ever since. His role isn’t flashy, but it’s important. He’s trusted, knows the program, and has been around long enough to understand how everything works under Self.
This is the kind of story Kansas didn’t need in the middle of a season. The Jayhawks are nearing the start of Big 12 play and have national title expectations like they always do. Dealing with staff issues in December is never ideal, especially when it involves an arrest.
There hasn’t been a detailed explanation of what happened, but the official report says Dooley was arrested Saturday and released the same day. There’s no word yet on whether charges have been filed or how the case will proceed, but three weeks off the bench means he’ll miss a chunk of key games as Kansas tries to position itself for another top seed in March.
From a basketball standpoint, Kansas won’t skip a beat. They’ve got one of the deepest and most experienced coaching staffs in the country, and Self isn’t someone who leans too hard on one voice. But this does bring attention that the program didn’t ask for.
For now, Kansas moves forward without him while the legal process plays out. Dooley is expected to return after the suspension, but the situation is still developing. It’s a distraction, even if a small one, for a team that usually doesn’t deal with much noise outside the court.
