Butler Hires Former Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta

Matta went 337-123 in 13 seasons with the Buckeyes and left as the winningest coach in school history.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Apr 3, 2022 12:15 PM EDT

The Butler men’s basketball program announced on Sunday morning it has hired former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta to lead his alma mater for the second time.

“The success that Thad has achieved at every one of his programs speaks for itself,” athletic director Barry Collier said in a statement. “He is a championship-caliber coach and recruiter who brings valuable experience and contagious energy to Butler. I have seen that personally in Thad as a player, assistant coach and head coach. The Matta Family – Thad, Barb, Ali and Emily – has a deep appreciation for Butler and I know they join all of the Butler community in how excited we are for what's to come.”

The 54-year-old Matta spent just one season as the Bulldogs’ head coach from 2000-01, leading them to a then-school record 24 wins and appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was then named the head coach at Xavier, where he led the Musketeers to three straight 26-win seasons and an Elite Eight appearance.

Matta became the 13th head coach in Ohio State history in 2004 and helped the Buckeyes reach an unprecedented level of success during his 13 seasons at the helm. That includes two Final Four appearances, including a trip to the 2007 national championship, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, five Big Ten regular season championships and four-time conference tournament championships.

Ohio State and Matta mutually agreed to part ways following the 2016-17 season, as he was dealing with complications from back surgery that led to a decline in team performance and in their recruiting efforts. He left Columbus as the all-time winningest coach in school history, with a record of 337-123, including a 150-78 mark in Big Ten play.

Most recently, Matta – who has compiled a 439-154 record in 17 total seasons as a head coach – was the associate athletic director for basketball administration at Indiana, where he assisted head coach Mike Woodson in all facets of the program.

"Butler is a special place, one that Barb, Ali, Emily and I each chose as our school," said Matta, who was a team captain for the Bulldogs in 1989-90, Collier’s first as head coach. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to Butler and lead our men's basketball program. There is a solid foundation in place and I'm confident that Butler will consistently be among the top programs in the Big East. I can't wait to attack the work we have in front of us and to be back on the sidelines at Hinkle Fieldhouse.”

Matta will be reintroduced as Butler’s head coach on Wednesday.

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