Thad Matta out as Ohio State head coach effectively immediately

It was initially thought that Thad Matta was out after next season, but he will be retiring effectively immediately

On Monday, some shocking reports broke that Ohio State men’s head basketball coach Thad Matta would be stepping down following the 2017-18 season upcoming later this year. It was also noted in the report that a press conference would be held at 2 p.m. ET to officially announce the news. Well, the press conference started and news did indeed break, but it was not the news that everyone had expected for a short time.

Not long after the reports came out, Ohio State officially announced in a press release that Matta would not be stepping down following the coming season, rather he is out as the head coach of the Buckeyes effective immediately.

As for the reasoning for Matta stepping away from the job, the move here is very much tied to his health. He has dealt with some medical issues over the years, including his back. The now former Ohio State head coach has had four major back surgeries, including one that was not all that successful in 2007. It seems that all of this had finally caught up to him and the rigors of the job were something he could deal with no longer.

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Matta spent 13 seasons as the head man in Columbus, and overall, his tenure was rather successful. He finishes with 337 wins, and he made two Final Four appearances with the Buckeyes, in 2007 and 2012. He also collected five Big Ten regular season titles and four conference tournament trophies.

Now, as is the case, the attention turns to who will be the replacement in Columbus. AD Gene Smith noted in the press conference that they will conduct a thorough national search, so that should be getting underway immediately — if it hasn’t already.