Displaying items by tag: Thad Matta

Former Ohio State Basketball head coach Thad Matta joined the Sam and  Brad Show  to talk about being inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame. 

 

Sam and Brad spoke with former McKinley Bulldog and Ohio State point guard Ron Stokes Tuesday to talk about Thad Matta's decision to step down from Ohio State University.

Stokes serves as a color analyst on the Ohio State-IMG Sports Network.  He discussed how Thad ran his program at OSU in the right way and the next steps as far as how the university will find it's next head basketball coach.

 

The full interview can be heard here.

 

After 13 seasons, the Thad Matta era at Ohio State is officially over. Matta resigned due to chronic foot problems, though this seemed to be a mutual parting of ways with Buckeye brass.

Paul Keels, the voice of Buckeye football and basketball, told the Ray Horner Morning Show he was shocked to see Matta resign this quick. Keels says the former coach was “a dream” to cover, calling him a “world-class person.”

The OSU voice has heard from inside sources that Matta’s health may have led to a negative effect on recruiting, though he won’t rule out coaching again in the future. As far as a replacement, Keels mentioned a few names to fill the coaching shoes, and that Gene Smith and the athletic department are trying to find the right coach.

After 13 seasons patrolling the sidelines in Columbus,  the Thad Matta era has come to an end at The Ohio State University.

Fighting back emotions during a Monday afternoon press conference, Thad thanked a litany of individuals who were instrumental in his success at OSU with the men's basketball program, but the most important catalysts during this run, where his players.

"Those are the guys that get the job done for me," Matta said. "And 'I'm grateful to them."

Matta leaves as Ohio State's all-time winningest basketball coach with 337 wins.

Matta expressed  that his time in Columbus was the greatest time of his coaching life, and when asked how he wanted his tenure with the Buckeyes to be remembered, it goes way beyond wins and losses.

"That to me is something I'm going to hang my hat on is that this program was run the right way," Matta said. 

Now that he has stepped down at Ohio State, Matta discussed his #1 goal moving forward is staying healthy.

Matta and Athletic Director Gene Smith said the two came to a mutual understanding that a change was needed in leadership of the men's basketball program.  Smith says the search for a successor will come immediately.

Adam Jardy OSU Buckeyes basketball beat writer spoke with Sam and Brad to talk about the recent struggles of the basketball Buckeyes in 2016-17.

His article in the Columbus Dispatch breaks down their season and Thad Matta's view on things.

 

For the full article, click here.