Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, who has led the Badgers for 15 years, announced on Monday morning that next season would be his last in Madison, as he plans to retire after more than 30 years in the profession.
Ryan, who has won 357 games in his time at Wisconsin, issued the following statement:
“Back in the spring, in the days after the national championship game, (UW Director of Athletics) Barry Alvarez and I discussed the possibility of me retiring,” Ryan said. “I’ve always been told tht is not a decision to make right after a season is completed. Barry Thankfully encouraged me to take some time to think about it and I have done that. I considered retiring this summer or coaching one more season.”
According to reports, Ryan’s hope is that assistant coach Greg Gard will take over the program after his exit.
The news comes as a slight surprise, though his age–he will turn 68 in December–and the state of his program provide possible windows into his decision. After two Final Four appearances, including last season’s loss in the national title game, Wisconsin appears ready to fall back to the pack in the Big Ten, with many offseason polls picking them to finish somewhere in the middle of the standings.
Ryan under went heavy criticism following his comments regarding one-and-done recruiting after the national title loss to Duke, who had three freshman declare for the NBA Draft following the season. Some thought that Ryan’s comments indicated that the modern game had perhaps passed him by, though his recent success suggested differently.
