ohio st. just fired Fad Matta

[Michchamp]

The program has been lousy the last couple seasons, but this is an odd time of year to fire your coach.

 

[thewolverines24]

Matta wanted to coach one more year and then retire.

I just hope they don't throw the bank at Chris Mack and get him.

 

[dubbsco]

He retired.

He's in very bad health. I wish him the best, he is one of the few coaches that OSU has had that I actually like. He's a good dude.

 

[TheVictors]

He "retired."

He's in very bad health. I wish him the best, he is one of the few coaches that OSU has had that I actually like. He's a good dude.

Fixed.

 

[hungry]

Seems very confusing. Unsure whether he retired or was asked to retire.

 

[tomdalton22]

Just read the article. It definitely was a firing. It said he is 50....he looks 65!

 

[dubbsco]

Well the story was that he planned on retiring after next season.

If Smith pushed him out the door now, he's a bigger shit head than I thought.

 

[tomdalton22]

Well the story was that he planned on retiring after next season.

If Smith pushed him out the door now, he's a bigger shit head than I thought.

from the article

"I felt comfortable after the season when I sat down with Thad that we had a plan. [But] recruiting is a major part of it, and we weren't winning the recruiting battles," Smith said. "As we started talking about it Friday, the flow of the conversation took me to the realization as I said to him, 'This might be the time to make a leadership change,' and he agreed."

They also said they will be honoring the final 3 years of his contract.

 

[Michchamp]

sounds like they were going to give him another year, but his failure to land anyone in the off-season doomed him.

I didn't realize he had so many health problems, or that he was only 50. he does look older.

 

[dubbsco]

He earned the right to go out on his own accord. Dude was 337-123. If he wanted to do one last season, they should have let him.

 

[thewolverines24]

He earned the right to go out on his own accord. Dude was 337-123. If he wanted to do one last season, they should have let him.

Yeah, but they're OSU which means they're ****s.

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[dubbsco]

Ah yes, did not think about that.

 

[tomdalton22]

He earned the right to go out on his own accord. Dude was 337-123. If he wanted to do one last season, they should have let him.

that makes no sense. He hasn't been getting the job done for years.

 

[dubbsco]

He has had two bad seasons recently.

Prior to that, he has been doing basically the same thing Beilein has doing on average. 25-10, 24-11.

He earned the right to coach one more year on his own terms.

 

[Michchamp]

He has had two bad seasons recently.

Prior to that, he has been doing basically the same thing Beilein has doing on average. 25-10, 24-11.

He earned the right to coach one more year on his own terms.

it does seem a little unfair when you look at it that way. according to some of the articles out there, there is more than just his bad W/L record to the story: he has had serious health problems, such that he needed painkillers just to stand and coach on the sidelines. He also reportedly had trouble walking following his most recent back surgery. And they haven't been able to sign enough players during the offseason, so they only have nine (9) on their roster for this fall. seems like he's physically struggling to do his job.

they didn't fire him immediately after the season, so it appears they did intend to give him one more year, but given all the surrounding issues it looks like that one more year was going to be a disaster for all involved. why suffer through that? it's not in anyone's best interest, including Matta's, though a lot of takes on his firing seem to agree with you that OSU/Gene Smith didn't handle it well.

I read another article that quoted Gene Smith as saying they would honor the three years remaining in his contract and he'd be involved in the search for his replacement. if so, that's good. he's certainly not going to get another job anytime soon after this, and if he does coach again, his first job back is going to be a lot less prestigious. but if I was a coach, I wouldn't trust Gene Smith any further than I can throw him.

according to the interwebs, his annual salary is ~$3.2 MM/year although those numbers typically include all sorts of other incentives, and base salary is a lot less. so they may be "honoring" his contract, but still paying him less than if he was actually coaching. the interwebs also estimates his net worth as $12 MM. He's only 50, but I'm guessing he could probably retire now and be fine, unless he spends money like an idiot.

if he can't coach again he can always get some basketball-related job, in a front office, or as a commentator. It seems like the Big Ten Network partially exists as a form of welfare for former Big Ten coaches, so he could always do that.

 

[TheVictors]

Matta took osu basketball places it hadn't been since Jimmy Jackson and folks forget the scandal under his predecessor OBrien. Not a fan of osu or Penisface Thad, but guy did more for osu hoops than any other coach I can recall there.