OT: Thad Matta

[JRSlim2284]

He's retiring?! 49 years old. Hope all is good with him as that's pretty damn young for a coach.

EDIT: 1 report says a lot of health issues with his back. Almost like Steve Kerr it seems.

 

[bigraym]

Ohio State has not lived up to expectation in past 5+ years....that pressure could cause retirement, especially if you can afford it!

 

[JRSlim2284]

All things equal, Matta could get a pretty good job elsewhere. If he said "hey I wanna come back to Butler," how long do you take to tell him no, if that's your answer.

 

[dehere23]

If Holty is there I still tell Thad thanks but no thanks

All things equal, Matta could get a pretty good job elsewhere. If he said "hey I wanna come back to Butler," how long do you take to tell him no, if that's your answer.

 

[TomD82]

Reports are it is really not a retirement. He says he want to focus on getting healthy, but.
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...e-smith-replacement/9ivup2r5kck41e0bgs4urzb37

 

[SHUBK]

Wonder if they go after crean. Weird timing on this as tough to go after guys in June. Would think AD would have someone lined up

 

[shu09]

Someone told me about 3 years ago that his back was so bad and he only had a few seasons left in him. Sounds like he was on the money, although this sort of feels like he was pushed out. Probably a compromise of sorts between him and the university given the below average performance recently.

Matta is a good guy, hope he gets the treatment he needs to live comfortably.

 

[Halldan1]

 

[dcPirate]

Xavier’s Chris Mack and Butler’s Chris Holtmann are already linked to the position (this was from a Zagsblog article)

Do either of those guys jump for Ohio State? Money certainly is no object for OSU to throw around. The cupboard is bare for the Buckeyes. Guy like Mack has a serious team coming back next year. Seems hard to see him leaving.

 

[Bobbie Solo]

Motta had the ability to get his face the reddest I've every seen a human get. So theres that too.

 

[Halldan1]

 

[Hall91]

I'd be surprised if Mack left his alma mater for the job, but if they throw enough $, who knows. Besides getting their teams to the Final 4, don't think Mack or Holtmann have anything else to prove.

Danny Hurley?

 

[SHUSource]

Someone told me about 3 years ago that his back was so bad and he only had a few seasons left in him. Sounds like he was on the money, although this sort of feels like he was pushed out. Probably a compromise of sorts between him and the university given the below average performance recently.

I believe he announced that he was going to coach one more year, then retire, and the AD said that he would be leaving effective now. So, yeah, definitely (if somewhat politely) pushed out.

 

[sportsfantatic44]

Rutgers might not be the worst team in the Big 10 next year. Ohio State only has 9 scholarship players at this point. Wonder how outsiders view this job.

 

[wpc75]

Xavier’s Chris Mack and Butler’s Chris Holtmann are already linked to the position (this was from a Zagsblog article)

Do either of those guys jump for Ohio State? Money certainly is no object for OSU to throw around. The cupboard is bare for the Buckeyes. Guy like Mack has a serious team coming back next year. Seems hard to see him leaving.

Could they look at Kevin Willard?

 

[buckfoston824]

Motta had the ability to get his face the reddest I've every seen a human get. So theres that too.

Tom Coughlin would like a word

 

[dehere23]

Ohio State is a great job. Top 3 in the Big Ten in my view. Had this been several months ago there would have been plenty of really good candidates.

I'd be surprised if Mack left his alma mater for the job, but if they throw enough $, who knows. Besides getting their teams to the Final 4, don't think Mack or Holtmann have anything else to prove.

Danny Hurley?

 

[Muggsy Blue]

Seriously?

 

[hallgrad80]

Xavier’s Chris Mack and Butler’s Chris Holtmann are already linked to the position (this was from a Zagsblog article)

Do either of those guys jump for Ohio State? Money certainly is no object for OSU to throw around. The cupboard is bare for the Buckeyes. Guy like Mack has a serious team coming back next year. Seems hard to see him leaving.

How about Martin from South Carolina ; Pitino , Jr. from Minn.; Cronin from Cinn. could be a dark horse in this race as could Jamie Dixon. Of course if he wanted to leave Jay would be the front-runner .

 

[SPK145]

Why would they NOT go after Crean?

 

[Halldan1]

Top seven potential replacements for Thad Matta at Ohio State
NCAAB

Updated at 4:07 p.m. ET

With news that Thad Matta is out as Ohio State's basketball coach, the next question for the Buckeyes is who will replace him.

Matta not only has the winningest record in Ohio State history (337-123), but boasts five Big Ten regular-season championships, four conference tournament titles and nine trips to the NCAA Tournament, plus a bevy of trips to the Sweet 16 (six), Elite Eight (three) and Final Four (two).


Whoever Ohio State goes after will need to have a history of consistent success — here are the best available coaching candidates who fit that description.

Chris Mack, Xavier
Mack has everything Ohio State is looking for in a replacement candidate. Mack is an established coach who has already laid the groundwork for recruiting in Ohio thanks to his tenure at Xavier. Mack has coached the Musketeers since 2009, accumulating a 187-91 record during that time. Mack coached the Musketeers to seven NCAA Tournaments in his eight-year tenure, and has never lost out in the first round. He has averaged 23 wins a season and is coming off four consecutive trips to the Big Dance, most recently an Elite Eight berth in 2016-17.

Gregg Marshall, Wichita State
Marshall has been considered for every major coaching vacancy to open up in college basketball, and this time will be no different. He would bring in an impressive record (261-90), and he has experienced sustained success at both Winthrop and Wichita State. His teams have appeared in 13 NCAA Tournaments, including six straight for the Shockers.

Chris Holtmann, Butler
Before he moved to Indiana to become an assistant to Butler’s Brandon Miller, Holtmann was the head coach at Gardner-Webb, where he had the Big South program in Boiling Springs, N.C., heading in the right direction (from eight wins the year before he arrived to 21 in his third and final year). Holtmann took over as Butler head coach after the 2014 season and earned the job permanently when Miller didn’t return. Butler made the NCAA Tournament each of Holtmann’s first three years as head coach.

Mick Cronin, Cincinatti
Cronin, like Mack, has an established foothold in Ohio, having coached the Bearcats since 2006. He has a 237-135 record with the Bearcats, taking them to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Cincinnati had its best season under Cronin in 2016-17, going 30-6 and placing second in the American Athletic Conference. Still, Cronin hasn't coached the Bearcats past the Round of 32 since 2012 — he might be on the lookout for a fresh start.

Mike Brown, Golden State Warriors
Brown has been out of the head coaching game since 2014, when his Cleveland Cavaliers went 33-49. Brown has filled in nicely as an assistant on the Warriors staff, helping keep the team's undefeated streak intact through the playoffs. Brown performed admirably in Steve Kerr's absence after the Golden State head coach sat out most of the NBA playoffs with a back injury, leading the team to an 11-0 record during that time. Brown has extensive NBA coaching experience, and the 2009 NBA Coach of the Year has said he wants to get back into the game as a head coach. Could he start over in the college game?

Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette
Wojciechowski has seen moderate success at Marquette in three seasons, coaching the Golden Eagles to a 52-45 record. Still, his team is coming off two seasons of at least 19 wins and made it to its first NCAA Tournament since 2013. Serving as an assistant under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1999-2004 certainly helps as well.

Pat Kelsey, Winthrop
Kelsey just finished his fifth season at Winthrop, where his Eagles are coming off a Big South conference title and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2010. Kelsey has coached the Eagles to four consecutive seasons of at least 19 wins. Before he arrived, they’d won more than 13 just once in the previous four seasons. As an added bonus, he has deep ties to the state of Ohio after having played and coached at Xavier.

Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy and Ryan Fagan contributed to this list.

 

[Halldan1]

POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS FOR THAD MATTA AS OHIO STATE'S NEXT HEAD COACH
Tim Shoemaker on June 5, 2017 at 4:15 pm

For the first time in 13 years, Ohio State needs a new head basketball coach.

Athletic director Gene Smith announced Monday that Thad Matta was out and that a national search would begin immediately. Matta was the winningest coach in school history, so this is no small task.

Of course, the timing of the change is less than ideal. Smith said there weren't any plans for any of the Buckeyes' current assistants to take on an interim role this season, so Ohio State fully intends to hire another coach from a different program.

Here are some potential options for Smith:

CHRIS MACK — XAVIER
An obvious name since he coaches at a school right down the road — at the same one Ohio State hired Matta from — but there's many out there who believe Mack is a Xavier lifer. He is an alum, after all.

Mack has been the head coach of the Musketeers since 2009-10 and has a career coaching record of 187-91 (.673). He's led Xavier to the NCAA tournament seven times in eight seasons and been to the Sweet 16 four times with an Elite Eight appearance coming this past season.

CHRIS HOLTMANN — BUTLER
Another hot young coach from one of Matta's former employers, Holtmann is another option for Ohio State. He's been the head coach of the Bulldogs for the last three seasons after three years at Gardner-Webb.

Holtmann has compiled a 70-31 mark in three years at Butler and has been to the NCAA tournament in all three seasons.

MICK CRONIN — CINCINNATI
Another longtime head coach at an Ohio school, Cronin just finished his 11th season as the head coach at Cincinnati. The Bearcats have been to the NCAA tournament each of the last seven seasons but have only advanced past the first weekend once in that stretch.

Cronin is 237–135 (.637) in his 11 years at Cincinnati.

SEAN MILLER — ARIZONA
A former Matta disciple who has coaching experience at Ohio State, Miller is one of the top coaches in the profession. The big question here, obviously, is whether or not he'd want to leave Arizona, which is widely considered a better job than Ohio State.

Anything is possible, I guess. I bet Miller would answer Ohio State's phone call, though.

GREGG MARSHALL — WICHITA STATE
His name comes up for just about every coaching vacancy in the country so why not just include it here. Fact is, Marshall makes roughly the same amount of money that Matta did at Ohio State, so it's hard to envision him leaving his current situation.

TOM CREAN — FORMER INDIANA HEAD COACH
The only coach on this list not currently employed is Crean. Maybe he gets a phone call considering the wild timing of Matta's departure.

BUZZ WILLIAMS — VIRGINIA TECH
Williams just finished his third season at Virginia Tech and has done a nice job reshaping the Hokies' program. He made his first NCAA tournament in Blacksburg this past season and went to the Big Dance five-straight times at Marquette, his previous stop.

In his 10-year head coaching career, Williams has an overall record of 206–134 (.606).

Other possible candidates: Tony Bennett (Virginia), Frank Martin (South Carolina), Billy Donovan (Oklahoma City Thunder), Shaka Smart (Texas)

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...for-thad-matta-as-ohio-states-next-head-coach

 

[knowknow456]

With the exception of Crean and possibly Cronin (due to the unsettled nature of the AAC), I don't know why any of the coaches listed would take the Ohio State job.

To me, they would all be making lateral moves except for Sean Miller who would be taking a backward step.

 

[Section112]

With the exception of Crean and possibly Cronin (due to the unsettled nature of the AAC), I don't know why any of the coaches listed would take the Ohio State job.

To me, they would all be making lateral moves except for Sean Miller who would be taking a backward step.

Agree 100%. It will pay very well though. They have a good not great history in college hoops. 27 NCAA appearances and one natty (1960). Very good attendance at games though (probably top 15 or 20 in the country which has a lot to do with 59,000+ enrollment there. If you were ever on the campus it's more like a small city. Still a football school though IMO.

 

[hallsoccer03]

The only thing with Cronin is would he leave when he may have his best team yet? Crean looks to be the obvious choice

 

[Pirate64]

4 BE coaches on the list

 

[shu09]

I'm surprised Bruce Pearl's name hasn't been mentioned.

 

[hallgrad80]

Don't know why all the love for Crean. He never restored IU to its former glory and was fired. Remember Indiana is a basketball first school while OSU is a FB school . Better chance to succeed at IU then OSU

 

[Seton75]

Motta had the ability to get his face the reddest I've every seen a human get. So theres that too.

Redder than tom Coughlin in green bay?

(buck beat me to it...)

 

[SHUisNJsTeam]

Rutgers might not be the worst team in the Big 10 next year. Ohio State only has 9 scholarship players at this point. Wonder how outsiders view this job.

Ohio State can't out Rutgers Rutgers. No one can.

 

[NYShoreGuy]

I'm surprised Bruce Pearl's name hasn't been mentioned.

Pearl has to get it going at set bottom feeder auburn first

 

[Johnny Biggs]

Really hope none of the BE coaches get it. Lots of pressure to win & win big there.

 

[ShuVol]

Really hope none of the BE coaches get it. Lots of pressure to win & win big there.

I hope Crean gets the job. However, I just have that sinking feeling that OSU will end up poaching one of the coaches from our conference.

 

[Shuathelete]

not a good look for the big east if our coaches are always top options to be considered for these football schools. but what are you gonna do, money talks.

if im ohio state im going after all of those other guys before crean. ohio st is a school that will always return to glory no matter how bad they are.

 

[Potbelly407]

not a good look for the big east if our coaches are always top options to be considered for these football schools. but what are you gonna do, money talks.

if im ohio state im going after all of those other guys before crean. ohio st is a school that will always return to glory no matter how bad they are.

You could also argue it means the Big East had excellent coaches other teams want

 

[dcPirate]

You could also argue it means the Big East had excellent coaches other teams want

True, but I think all Big East fans want the league to be seen as having many "destination jobs" as opposed to "stepping stone" jobs to Power 5 gigs...

 

[Johnny Biggs]

It's fine for the BE to have their coaches in demand at "power 5" schools. Just as long as they stay where they are in the end.

 

[dehere23]

Yup - don't see any leaving in light of the timing.

Ohio St. is a really, really attractive job though. Yes, will always be a football school, but they have everything else you want to check: rabid fan base, great conference, offer big time pay, insane facilities and good tradition including recent success

 

[MBF72]

Also don't see Crean after his demise at another Big Ten school. Timing is esp. odd for an interested coach not comfortable with leaving his school in the lurch. That said, maybe it will be a guy who has jumped around a lot already like Martin. Could see Peterson or Marshall.

Posters feel it is a great job, but has been a dead end for Randy Ayers, Motta, the former BC coach.

 

[urbanecane]

With the exception of Crean and possibly Cronin (due to the unsettled nature of the AAC), I don't know why any of the coaches listed would take the Ohio State job.

To me, they would all be making lateral moves except for Sean Miller who would be taking a backward step.

Wichita state and Xavier to Ohio state are lateral moves? No way. OSU is probably a top 5 big10 gig based on facilities, alumni, and location. They were in the national championship game not too long ago. Matta just lost the buzz.