Thad Matta of Xavier will be Ohio State’s next men’s basketball coach after accepting the job offered by OSU Director of Athletics Andy Geiger, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The search committee, which according to The Associated Press consisted primarily of former players Clark Kellogg and Bill Hosket and current Buckeye Terrence Dials, met yesterday at Ohio Stadium. Its members told Geiger that Matta was its choice to replace Jim O’Brien, who was fired June 8 after admitting to Geiger that he paid a recruit $6,000.
Matta had been fervent in denying his interest in the OSU position but apparantly has had a change of heart.
Matta beat out Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings and Rice coach Willis Wilson for the job. Geiger called Stallings and OSU assistant coach Rick Boyages to inform them of his decision, according to The Dispatch.
Matta, 36, led Xavier to 26-11 and qualified for the last eight in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Overall, Matta compiled a 78-23 record with the Musketeers and had signed a contract lasting until the 2012-2013 season.
From the moment O’Brien was fired, Matta became one of the favorites to get the job. Regardless, Matta kept denying he was interested.
“I’m not a candidate. It’s that plain and that simple,” Matta was quoted as saying in The Cincinnati Enquirer June 29.
For some fans though, Matta just was not a big enough name.
“I am disapointed that with such a big university that we didn’t get a bigger name and that we didn’t get Bob Knight,” R. W. Powers of Clintonville said.
Matta was hired after a frantic day that began at 7:15 a.m. yesterday – reporters who had been staking out sites on campus waiting for Geiger came upon him driving Matta to the Schottenstein Center to meet with the search commitee. Matta then met with President Karen A. Holbrook and when that concluded flew out of Columbus.
Later yesterday, a Xavier athletic department spokesman said that he expected the deal to be done the same day, and only a few hours later local television news outlets broke the story.
Other candidates contacted by Geiger included Pennsylvania coach Fran Dunphy, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, OSU alumnus, and Linden native Jim Cleamons, as well as Texas Tech coach and OSU alumnus Bob Knight.
Other names that were connected with the position included Phil Martelli of St. Joseph’s, assistant coach Johnny Dawkins at Duke and former UCLA coach Steve Lavin.
One possible negative in the eyes of coaches was that OSU is percieved as a football-focused school.
“We should just have Jim Tressel do both. I don’t really care,” sophomore Chad Geese said.
