Butler Coach Thad Matta Addresses the ‘Elephant in the Room’: His Health

Butler announced Thad Matta would be their men’s basketball head coach after firing LaVall Jordan last week.

In his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Matta immediately addressed the question he expected to be asked: where is he health-wise?

Matta developed a condition called “drop foot” after undergoing a back surgery in 2007 while he was still at Ohio State. He coached there until 2017. This condition causes Matta to drag his foot when he walks, and his health situation reportedly played a role when he and the Buckeyes parted ways five years ago.

So, when Matta took the Butler job, people wanted to know if he was healthy enough to take on the responsibilities that come with a head coaching role.

“I wouldn’t have taken this job—let’s address the elephant in the room—if I didn’t think I was physically capable of doing this job and doing more than the job needs,” Matta said. “You know, you find out in recruiting—there were times late in my career where people were saying, ‘He’s going to die. You can’t choose that school.’ It tells you how crazy this profession is. I’m not going to die. My foot doesn’t work. That’s it.”

Regarding whether or not he is ready to take on the role, Matta said he is still working on settling into the job, but he is confident in his ability to coach at the Division I level again.

“But I think from the standpoint of, ‘I am in, I am ready to go,’” Matta said. “I’m in the process of putting a staff together, and I’m putting this staff together for Butler University—and most importantly, I’m putting this staff together for my players because the one mission I have as head coach of Butler University is to make my players the best that they can possibly be. They’re going to see that, they’re going to feel that.”

Matta previously acted as Butler’s head coach for one season in 2000–01. The team went 24–8 and reached the second round the NCAA tournament. 

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