COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Thad Matta is out as Ohio State’s basketball coach after 13 seasons, with the Buckeyes having missed the NCAA Tournament for two straight years.
He said at a news conference Monday it was a ”mutually agreed” decision.
Matta coached the Buckeyes from 2005 to 2017 and took them to two Final Fours. Ohio State finished 17-15 this year. In the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State lost to Rutgers, the lowest-seeded team.
Matta has been troubled by back pain, and surgery complications have left him with a limp. He mentioned ”trying to get healthy” as a reason for leaving.
The school on Saturday said that JaQuan Lyle, the third-leading scorer last season, had quit the team last month. That came to light after Lyle had been arrested on misdemeanor charges of public intoxication, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct in his Indiana hometown.
Matta’s teams won at least 20 games in 12 consecutive seasons. Matta is the school’s career leader in wins and games. He won five regular-season Big Ten titles and four league tournaments, the most championships of any league coach over the last 13 seasons.
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