More than 20 years after he last coached at Butler, Thad Matta is coming back.
The 54-year-old coach is the new head coach at the Big East school, replacing LaVall Jordan who was fired Friday after back-to-back losing seasons. Matta will be officially introduced during a press conference on Wednesday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Matta last coached at Ohio State during the 2016-17 season, but after the season he and the school mutually agreed he would step down due to health issues that were causing a decline in team performance and recruiting.
In his 17 years as a college head coach, which includes stints at Butler, Ohio State and Xavier, Matta has gone 439-154 (.740). Matta’s teams won 20 or more games in 16 of those 17 seasons, advancing to the NCAA Tournament 13 times. His 2007 and 2012 Ohio State teams reached the Final Four.
“The success that Thad has achieved at every one of his programs speaks for itself,” said Butler AD Barry Collier 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.”
“Butler is a special place, one that Barb, Ali, Emily and I each chose as our school,” said Matta. “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 is the third new head coach in the Big East, joining Sean Miller at Xavier and Shaheen Holloway at Seton Hall. Like Matta, Miller previously coached at his new school, while Holloway played at Seton Hall and was an associate head coach there before taking over at Saint Peter’s, which he led on a Cinderella run to the Elite 8 this season.
