What Dana Altman Said After Surprising Oregon Retirement Announcement

Coach Dana Altman has called it a career after 16 seasons with the Oregon Ducks.

Mar 7, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman yells instructions during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the 2026-27 college basketball season just around the corner, Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman has announced his retirement after 16 seasons with the program. 

In his 16 seasons with the Ducks, Altman posted a 382-182 overall record, and among his greatest accomplishments with Oregon were leading the program to the 2017 Final Four and several Pac-12 championships. Under Altman, the Ducks also appeared in the NCAA Tournament nine times. In five of those nine appearances, Altman and the Ducks advanced to the Sweet 16. 

Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I have had to make two really tough decisions in my coaching career,” said Altman. “The first was leaving Creighton, a place my family and I dearly loved, to come to Oregon. This is the second. I've loved every minute of coaching here, and stepping away is difficult and truly painful. I love coaching, it’s what I know best and what I’ve been fortunate enough to do for almost five decades. I'm going to miss my coaches, my players and our incredible fans more than I can express."

"But I know this is the right thing to do at this time. I want to thank former AD Pat Kilkenny for giving me a chance here, Phil Knight and Tim Boyle for their constant and unwavering support, my coaches and players past and present, Rob, President Scholz, and of course our amazing fans. It's been the honor of my life to coach the Ducks."

While some fans saw Altman’s retirement looming, retiring just before the start of the Ducks' 2026-27 season came as a surprise. Last season was Altman’s worst with Oregon, as the Ducks finished with a losing record for the first time in his tenure, missing the NCAA Tournament with a 12-20 overall record and finishing near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, going 5-15 in conference play. 

Now that Altman is retired, assistant coach Tony Stubblefield will take over as the Ducks' interim coach for the 2026-27 season. Whether Stubblefield remains Oregon’s coach long-term or the Ducks undergo a national coaching search remains to be seen.  

With Big Ten Media Day in Rosemont, Illinois, set to begin, Stubblefield will address the media at 7:30 p.m. PT via Zoom on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Altman is set to address the media at 1:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday.

Oregon’s 2026-27 Season Outlook

Dec 21, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Oregon Ducks assistant coach Tony Stubblefield yells during the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Ducks enter the 2026-27 season looking to bounce back from one of their most frustrating seasons in recent memory by returning to playing competitive basketball and making an expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament. 

The Ducks lost several key players from last season’s roster to the transfer portal, including Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans Jr. Oregon, however, brought in several of their own transfer portal additions in response to the losses.

Key transfer portal additions for the Ducks this offseason included Arizona Wildcats forward Dwayne Aristode, Boston College Eagles guard Fred Payne, Boise State Broncos forward Andrew Meadow, Kentucky Wildcats guard Jasper Johnson, San Diego State Aztecs forward Pharaoh Compton, and USC Trojans guard Jerry Easter II. 

In the Ducks' backcourt, Johnson and Payne are likely to be the two starters. The Ducks' frontcourt will feature Meadow, Compton, and Aristode, who look to improve the group following the departure of star center Nate Bittle. Arkansas Razorbacks transfer forward Malique Ewin also looks to improve the Ducks' frontcourt.

Feb 17, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Fred Payne (5) reacts to a foul call during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ducks' transfer portal class this offseason, which included nine commits, was ranked No. 39 overall in the country and No. 6 in the Big Ten, per 247Sports. Big Ten teams ahead of the Ducks in the transfer portal rankings include the Indiana Hoosiers (No. 1), Michigan Wolverines (No. 2), USC Trojans (No. 3), Maryland Terrapins (No. 4), and UCLA Bruins (No. 5). 

These pieces can help the Ducks improve their win total in the 2025-26 season, but will it be enough for Oregon to make the tournament, especially under a new coach? The Ducks are scheduled to open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2, against the Montana Grizzlies at Matthew Knight Arena.

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