Thad Matta making return to coaching, takes Butler Bulldogs men's basketball job

Thad Matta is back in coaching — and back at Butler.

The Bulldogs announced Sunday they were hiring Matta as their next head coach.

Matta, who spent the last year as an associate athletic director at Indiana, replaces LaVall Jordan, who was fired Friday after five seasons as Butler's head coach.

«The success that Thad has achieved at every one of his programs speaks for itself,» athletic director Barry Collier said. «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.»

Matta, 54, hasn't coached in college since 2017, when he stepped down as Ohio State's head coach. After two down seasons in Columbus, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways that summer, although Matta made it clear in his farewell news conference that he wasn't the one who prompted the conversation. He had battled health issues for several years, including undergoing back surgery in 2007 and dealing with nerve damage in one of his feet stemming from the operation.

Since then, Matta has been linked to several high-major job openings, including Indiana's last spring. He showed minimal interest in all of them. He even needed convincing on his return to Butler. Sources told ESPN that intermediaries sounded out Matta's interest back in February, and there didn't seem to be much momentum on Matta's side. Industry sources indicated a more likely return would come on the administrative side. But things began to shift on Friday, and Matta's hire was