Thad Matta (OSU's All Time Winningest Coach & 3x B1G COY, Butler HC)

[BB73]

ozone

Matta Agrees to New Contract with Ohio State
Via OSU Press release

Thad Matta, head coach of the Ohio State men's basketball team, agreed to a new contract that runs through the 2014-15 season, Eugene Smith, OSU director of athletics, announced Friday. Matta, 39, had been signed through the 2012 season.

The new contract is retroactive to July 1, 2006 and runs through June 30, 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, the total value is $1,889,400 for the 2006-07 season and $2,630,500 in the final year of the agreement in 2014-15.

"Thad Matta has an extraordinary gift," Smith said. "His energy and enthusiasm are both tangible and contagious, and his results speak for themselves. He is a master coach, and teacher, and a highly positive influence on the young men in the program. We are immensely proud to have him as our coach"

Matta said he is anxious to carry on the tradition of Ohio State basketball.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thad Matta talks to the press on Friday.
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Jim Davidson [/FONT]

"I would like to thank Gene Smith, President Karen Holbrook, and our board of trustees for their confidence in our program," Matta said. "More than anything, I think it sends a clear message about their belief in Ohio State basketball and the direction we collectively are trying to move this program toward in the future.
"There are many people that I should thank at this time," Matta said. "First and foremost would be some recent Ohio State graduates-Terence Dials, James Sullinger and Matt Sylvester. They, along with fellow captain Je'Kel Foster, who is playing professionally overseas, put aside a load of distractions and won an outright Big Ten championship. My staff and I had the honor of coaching them and we are anxious to carry the program forward for them and all of the other players, coaches, and student managers who have been part of Ohio State basketball."

Matta's teams have compiled a record of 148-49 in his six seasons as a head coach. Each team has won at least 20 games, making him one of two coaches nationally to record 20 or more victories in each of his first six years as an NCAA Division I head coach. Mark Few of Gonzaga has done so in each of his first seven seasons.

Ohio State is 46-18 with Matta at the helm heading into his third season in Columbus. Each team eligible for postseason competition under Matta's direction has competed in NCAA tournament play. He has never lost a first round NCAA tournament game in five appearances. His 2003-04 Xavier squad advanced to the NCAA regional finals (Elite Eight) falling to Duke 66-63 for the right to advance to the Final Four that year.

Ohio State was the outright regular season Big Ten Champion in 2006, the first outright and league title for the Buckeyes since 1992. The Buckeyes are 31-3 in Columbus under Matta's direction with an overall conference record of 20-12.

He is a three-time conference coach of the year, winning the honor in 2001 while coaching Butler in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, at Xavier in the Atlantic 10 in 2002 and with Ohio State in the Big Ten in 2006.

The 148 wins over his first six seasons ranks No. 5 all time in NCAA history for wins to start a career (6 yrs.). Matta's winning percentage (.751) also rates No. 5 all-time after six years at the start of a career.

In addition to Matta's contract, John Groce, who came to Ohio State from Xavier with Matta, has been elevated from assistant to associate head coach of the Buckeyes.

David Egelhoff and Brandon Miller also have new roles with the men's basketball program. Egelhoff, who spent five seasons as a student manager and three as the program's video coordinator, takes over as director of basketball operations. He has an undergraduate business administration degree (2001) and a master's in sports management (2005) from Ohio State.

Miller moves to the video coordinator position after two years as the director of basketball operations. Miller is a 2003 Butler graduate with a degree in education.

Terms of Thad Matta's Contact:
Year Total

2006-07 $1,889,400
2007-08 $1,964,400
2008-09 $2,064,800
2009-10 $2,159,800
2010-11 $2,340,500
2011-12 $2,345,500
2012-13 $2,445,500
2013-14 $2,540,500
2014-15 $2,630,500

 

[daddyphatsacs]

Great stuff. I'd love to keep Matta around for a while, he is a fantastic coach.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

OSU gives Matta an extension

Basketball coach will earn $20.38 million through June 30, 2015.


By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Ohio State is more than pleased with its men's basketball program. That's why the administration is showing the money to coach Thad Matta.
Matta's reworked and extended contract, announced Friday, is worth $20.38 million over the next nine seasons. The deal is retroactive to July 1 and goes through June 30, 2015. His previous deal went through 2012.


"Thad Matta has an extraordinary gift," said OSU Athletic Director Eugene Smith. "His energy and enthusiasm are both tangible and contagious, and his results speak for themselves. He is a master coach and teacher, and a highly positive influence on the young men in the program. We are immensely proud to have him as our coach."
Matta will make $1,889,400 this season, and the total rises to $2,630,500 in 2014-15.
Matta's record is 148-49 in six seasons, including 46-18 in two years at OSU. He won coach of the year honors at Butler (Midwestern Collegiate Conference, now the Horizon League), Xavier (Atlantic 10) and OSU (Big Ten).
School officials must be happy about this year's and next season's nationally ranked recruiting classes and last season's outright Big Ten title.
"More than anything, I think it sends a clear message about their belief in Ohio State basketball," Matta said. "And the direction we collectively are trying to move this program toward in the future."
Ohio State plays its second exhibition game at 1 p.m. Sunday against Walsh.
New role: John Groce has been promoted from assistant to associate head coach.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Buckeyes coach signs pact to run 9 more seasons

11/3/2006, 6:04 p.m. ETBy RUSTY MILLER
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Thad Matta was rewarded for winning a Big Ten title and shepherding the Ohio State men's basketball program through an NCAA investigation with a new contract on Friday.
Matta, set to begin his third year with the Buckeyes, agreed to a new deal that runs through the 2014-15 season and will pay him almost $1.9 million this season and more than $2.6 million in the final year.
The 39-year-old coach's previous contract ran through the 2012 season."Thad Matta has an extraordinary gift," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said.
Matta said Friday he appreciated the vote of confidence.
"For Gene to come in and have that sense of, 'Hey, I like the way this is going,' I know that makes me feel very good," he said.
Matta was hired from Xavier on July 7, 2004, to take over a month after Jim O'Brien was fired for violating NCAA rules by giving money to a 7-foot-3 recruit. A lengthy NCAA investigation followed, with Ohio State holding Matta's first Buckeyes team out of the postseason to try to offset possible penalties against the program.
After that 20-12 season, the Buckeyes surprised many by going 26-6 a year ago, winning the Big Ten's regular-season title and getting into the NCAA tournament before losing in the second round to Georgetown.
A week before the NCAA tournament started, the NCAA hit Ohio State with three years of probation and forced the school to erase all references to its trip to the Final Four in 1999 and to repay some $800,000 in tournament revenue for using an ineligible player from 1998-2002 while O'Brien was the coach.
While the investigation was taking place, Matta recruited one of the best classes at Ohio State led by 7-foot center Greg Oden. Oden is recovering from wrist surgery and is expected to be out until Jan. 1.
Matta said Smith and Ohio State officials approached him about rewriting his contract. He said the contract will reassure players that the university is committed to him and that he is committed to Ohio State.
"As we move forward with our program, obviously something like this is very important for recruiting," Matta said. "That kind of seems to be the backbone of our program, and I think kids have a real good feel for where Ohio States commitment is."
When Matta was hired, some questioned his commitment to his previous schools. He was the head coach at his alma mater, Butler, for only one year (2000-2001) before jumping to Xavier, where he coached three years before"I told Gene last summer I have a great passion and desire to be at Ohio State and continue to build this program," he said. He has a 46-18 record at Ohio State and a six-year coaching record of 148-49. His only team that did not make it to at least the second round of the NCAA tournament was the one that was held out of postseason play. His teams have won at least 20 games every year.
The Buckeyes are 31-3 at home under Matta and are 20-12 in Big Ten play. He has been named the coach of the year in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference while at Butler, the Atlantic 10 while at Xavier and the Big Ten this past season.
Thanks to the sterling recruiting class, Ohio State was the preseason pick to win the 2006-2007 conference title, despite returning only one starter.
Ohio State also announced that John Groce, who came with Matta from Xavier, has been elevated from assistant to associate head coach. David Egelhoff, the team's video coordinator, and Brandon Miller, the director of basketball operations, traded positions in a reshuffling.
The Buckeyes open their season Nov. 10 against VMI in the opening round of the BCA Classic at Value City Arena.

 

[Steve19]

Nice to see. That'll keep him away from the Browns job.

Not so quick. I saw Mike Hart on the beach here in Cape Town. Apparently, Matta to the Browns is a done deal.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

BSB$ (Jeff Rapp)

More on Matta's new contract.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Matta has a home in Ohio
Reworked deal goes through 2015, could reach $20.4 million

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Thad Matta coached the Buckeyes to their first undisputed Big Ten championship in 14 years last season and has the nation?s No. 2-ranked recruiting class going into this season.

The rumors will still be out there every March as long as Thad Matta keeps coaching the Ohio State men?s basketball team to 20 wins a year and championships on top of that. His name will be linked to this or that job. It?s the nature of the beast.
But after signing a contract guaranteeing him an average of $2 million a year for the next nine years, "I would question myself if I entertained another (job)," Matta said yesterday.
The athletic department announced the deal after it was approved by the OSU board of trustees at their monthly meeting. It is worth more than $18.6 million in guaranteed income and valued at nearly $20.4 million when performance bonuses and potential income from a summer camp are added.
The contract runs through the 2014-15 season. Matta will receive a $100,000 bonus if he is still the coach on April 30, 2012.
"What they?ve done really solidifies that we?re going to join hands and do this," Matta said. "Obviously, I?m grateful for that, that they would come the way they did and basically say, ?We want Thad to be the coach for a long time,? because that?s what I want, to be the coach here for a long time. I think it?s a great, great opportunity."
Matta, 39, is 46-18 in two years at Ohio State and last season led the Buckeyes to their first undisputed Big Ten championship in 14 years. They have the nation?s No. 2-ranked recruiting class in place for this season and were ranked No. 4 nationally in the USA Today/ESPN preseason poll of coaches.
"All of our fans are really excited about what Thad?s done with the basketball program," athletic director Gene Smith said. "We?re excited about giving him the security and compensating him consistent with our expectations for the program."
Smith said after last season that it was likely he would rework Matta?s original contract, which guaranteed him an average of $1.4 million a year excluding bonuses. The new deal guarantees him about $2.07 million a year. He is guaranteed $1.71 million this season.
Smith said Matta?s compensation package ranks second in the Big Ten to that of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who reportedly makes an average of $2.4 million a year. Smith said he is not sure where Matta?s ranks nationally but thinks it is among the top 12.
Another school interested in hiring Matta would have to pay only $500,000 to buy him out of the contract, the same amount as in Matta?s previous contract. But Smith said it was pointless to try to increase the amount.
"A lot of people put emphasis on that," he said, "but you?ll never get to a number ... that someone at our level can?t afford."
Matta said yesterday that he will "always look at what?s best for me and my family." But after spending two years as an assistant coach at Miami University and three as head coach at Xavier, and now entering his third year at Ohio State, "Ohio is basically home," he said.
"One of my dreams in coaching is to call a place home and raise my family and say this is home. I moved to Columbus when my oldest daughter was 5 and she had lived in four different houses. For me to have as much stability as you can as a coach is important to me, because my dream is to build a program, build it the right way and do it year in and year out."
[email protected]

 

[Oh8ch]

Another school interested in hiring Matta would have to pay only $500,000 to buy him out of the contract, the same amount as in Matta?s previous contract. But Smith said it was pointless to try to increase the amount.
"A lot of people put emphasis on that," he said, "but you?ll never get to a number ... that someone at our level can?t afford."

I am not buying this. Half a mil is an invitation for raiding. The cynic in me makes me ask if the number is low for the reason Smith states or because Matta objected to a higher figure.

 

[osugrad21]

Lantern

Matta signs $20 million contract

Eric Lowry

Issue date: 11/6/06

The Board of Trustees approved Ohio State head basketball coach Thad Matta's new nine-year contract on Friday. The new contract, worth $20 million, will be in place through the 2014-2015 season, according to a press release.

The new contract voids an eight-year contract worth $11 million negotiated last March.

Matta's career record of 148-49 gives the coach the fifth highest number of wins in the first six years of a coach's career in NCAA history. This includes Matta's record at OSU (46-18).

"Thad Matta has an extraordinary gift,"said OSU Director of Athletics Gene Smith in the release.

"He is a master coach, a teacher, and a highly positive influence on the young men in the program. We are immensely proud to have him as our coach."

Before coaching at OSU, Matta coached at Xavier for three years and Butler, his alma mater, for one year.

"I'm excited about Ohio State's belief and commitment to the program. Those are some feelings I had when I started here. It feels good to have the support of the university. It is very important for recruiting - the backbone for our program. Life is hard and coaching is very hard. It gives us the ability to coach and recruit. Our time frame we envision now for our program is up to 2010 and it is vitally important for us. It's a relief to know I'll be here then," Matta said.

 

[Steve19]

I am not buying this. Half a mil is an invitation for raiding. The cynic in me makes me ask if the number is low for the reason Smith states or because Matta objected to a higher figure.

I am of the opinion that this is a moot point. Pay the man his market value. Don't make him play second fiddle to the football program like Fred Taylor did. He has no reason to go anywhere else.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

cnnsi.com

Al Tielemans/SI Youth Movement In Full Swing It's icons such as Bobby Knight, Mike Krzyzewski and Lute Olsen that define the game, but youth is taking over the sidelines. While Florida's Billy Donovan, 41, has become the poster child for the youth infusion, he's an old man compared to IPFW's Dane Fife, who at 26 is the youngest coach in Division I. The MTV generation is making its presence felt in the coaching ranks, so here's a rundown of the top 10 coaches under 40:

1) Thad Matta, 39, Ohio State. The seventh-year coach (above), who was also the head man at Butler and Xavier, is 156-50 and has made it to the NCAA tournament in five of his six seasons (Ohio State was ineligible for the postseason in 2004-05), including an Elite Eight run with Xavier in 2004. He also gets major props for a ridiculous recruiting class that includes Greg Oden.

2) Mark Fox, 37, Nevada. He continues to be one of the hottest names in the game. Fox turned down the Nebraska job last summer and received a raise and extension from Nevada. In his third season with the Wolf Pack, Fox is 59-14 with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances under his belt and is widely considered one of the game's brightest minds.

3) Scott Sutton, 35, Oral Roberts. Often compared to Kansas coach Bill Self, who brought Sutton on as an assistant at ORU, Sutton has won 102 games since the start of the 2001-02 season and is coming off a the Golden Eagles' first NCAA appearance since 1984. It's just a matter of time before he joins his brother, Sean in the major-conference coaching ranks.

4) Jeff Capel, 31, Oklahoma. The former Duke standout has emerged as a rising star, landing the Oklahoma job after a four-year stint at Virginia Commonwealth, during which he went 79-41. He stresses unity and hardwork (sound's a little Krzyzewski-esque) and should be in Norman for the long haul.

5) Mick Cronin, 35, Cincinnati. Regarded as one of the nation's up-and-coming coaches and a top-notch recruiter, he enters his first year in the Queen City after leading Murray State to two NCAA tournament appearances in three seasons. He compiled a 69-24 mark with the Racers and his 28 first-year wins were the fifth-most in NCAA history for a rookie coach.

6) Sean Miller, 38, Xavier. Matta's former right-hand man at Xavier is 45-25 in his third season -- and has a resume that not many can touch. Besides being the first associate head coach in Xavier history under Matta, he was also Herb Sendek's lead assistant at NC State. Don't be surprised if he ends up at a top-tier program soon.

7) Sean Sutton, 38, Oklahoma State. Here's what we know: Sutton is undefeated as Oklahoma State's coach (11-0), he learned from one of the greatest coaches of all-time, his father Eddie, participating in more than 500 games as an Oklahoma State player and a coach in 14 years. The verdict is still out on Sean, but he looks well-schooled to be an elite coach.

8) Dave Calloway, 38, Monmouth. Calloway's official Web site calls him one of the best young coaches on the East Coast. He is, and he's earned it. In his ninth season in West Long Branch, N.J., he won his 100th game last January and led the Hawks on their third trip to the Big Dance in six seasons, during which Monmouth has piled up 112 victories.

9) John Pelphrey, 36, South Alabama. He went 36-48 in his first three seasons, never going above .500, but last year he turned a 10-win team into 24-victory squad which received an NCAA bid. That earned Pelphrey overtures from Ole Miss and Nebraska. He played under Rick Pitino at Kentucky and was once the hot assistant du jour under Donovan in Florida.

10) Will Brown, 35, Albany. In his sixth season with the Great Danes, Brown is 53-83, but he's coming off a 20-11 campaign that included the America East Conference regular season and tourney titles and the school's first NCAA berth. Before coming to Albany, he spent three years at Sullivan County CC (N.Y.), going 90-10. He also has a sweet Web site.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Matta immersed in rebuilding


BY BILL KOCH | [email protected]
Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta thinks he has a pretty good idea of what Mick Cronin is going through at the University of Cincinnati.


Continued...

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Coaching legend had influence on Buckeyes' Matta



Continued...

 

[jwinslow]

OSU Picture Archive

Ohio State coach Thad Matta gives instructions to his team during the second half of a Wooden Tradition college basketball game against Cincinnati in Indianapolis, Saturday,Dec. 16, 2006. Ohio State won, 72-50. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Shirt isn?t something Matta needs to get off his chest
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WADE PAYNE ASSOCIATED PRESS Bruce Pearl cheers on the Lady Vols against top-ranked Duke.

"You?ll see Jim Tressel doing that before you see me doing that. That?s what the chances are." THAD MATTA on going shirtless at an OSU women?s basketball game
Jamar Butler watched SportsCenter on Monday night and came to practice yesterday with a question for Thad Matta.
"I asked Coach when he was going to do that," said Butler, one of the Ohio State men?s basketball team co-captains.
"I don?t think you?ll be seeing it."