Bo Ryan to retire after one more year.

[MarkinMadison]

Statement from Bo through UW Press Release

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. I’ve always been told that 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.

I’ve decided to coach one more season with the hope that my longtime assistant Greg Gard eventually becomes the head coach at Wisconsin. I am looking forward to another year with our program, including our players, my terrific assistant coaches, our office staff and everyone who supports Wisconsin basketball here in Madison, around the state and across the country.

 

[OMPats13]

Maybe he can become a consultant for PSU basketball

 

[fairgambit]

Statement from Bo through UW Press Release

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. I’ve always been told that 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.

I’ve decided to coach one more season with the hope that my longtime assistant Greg Gard eventually becomes the head coach at Wisconsin. I am looking forward to another year with our program, including our players, my terrific assistant coaches, our office staff and everyone who supports Wisconsin basketball here in Madison, around the state and across the country.

Bo is one of the good guys. I will be sorry to see him go.

 

[Mr. Potter]

Statement from Bo through UW Press Release

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. I’ve always been told that 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.

I’ve decided to coach one more season with the hope that my longtime assistant Greg Gard eventually becomes the head coach at Wisconsin. I am looking forward to another year with our program, including our players, my terrific assistant coaches, our office staff and everyone who supports Wisconsin basketball here in Madison, around the state and across the country.

Funny he didn't thank the fans

 

[PSUriseANDfire]

Bennett started the ball rolling before Ryan and Ryan completely picked it up and ran with it crazy with it. They were basically what the PSU program is before those two. That is an elite job now I think. The Kohl Center is a beast, great fans. It's going to be interesting to see who they go after because I think the do have some really good options now. Probably will do what Bo asks though.

What a career. Really is one of the best ever.

 

[heygents]

Funny he didn't thank the fans

I would think that this statement:

" everyone who supports Wisconsin basketball here in Madison, around the state and across the country."

is in reference to the fans.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Funny how the reaction to a given news story can vary from Board to Board. There's a thread about Ryan's retirement on the Cal board, and 99% of the comments concern his very public lobbying for his assistant to succeed him. Most of the posts acknowledge how good a coach Ryan has been, but criticize him for lobbying so publicly.

 

[PSUriseANDfire]

Funny how the reaction to a given news story can vary from Board to Board. There's a thread about Ryan's retirement on the Cal board, and 99% of the comments concern his very public lobbying for his assistant to succeed him. Most of the posts acknowledge how good a coach Ryan has been, but criticize him for lobbying so publicly.

It is tricky I guess. In a career(outside of PSU apparently) you do earn respect with doing great things the right way. I would probably just be inclined to side with the guy that built the program into a power. Ryan isn't going to recommend someone that is likely to fail. If they get Ryan's protégé they will just keep on doing what they do probably.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Riseandfire: Yeah, Ryan's assistant (forget his name) surely has some things going for him (familiarity with the system and the players, continuity, experience with the school, its recruiting system and relationships, etc.), and it's hard to fault Ryan for being loyal to his assistant.

OTOH, what was to stop Ryan from lobbying vociferously for his assistant, but privately (i.e., not in the press)? By making an issue of it in his retirement announcement, he effectively pushes the Wisconsin AD (Barry Alvarez?) into a bit of a corner. Everyone now knows who Ryan's preferred successor is, and the AD now risks looking a bit ungrateful and disloyal to his longtime, beloved hoops coach if he goes with someone else as his successor. This, even though the most essential parts of an AD's job are hiring the head football and head basketball coach and the AD, not the former coach, is the primary person who is gonna be judged on any such hire. It could be argued from the other side, I'm sure, but Ryan surely gave his AD a little less flexibility by putting the issue out there in the public eye.

Here's the other thing I wonder: Ryan said he discussed his prospective retirement with Alvarez, so it is likely the subject of a successor came up. Why would Ryan have made a public announcement of his preference if Alvarez was already on board? To prevent Alvarez from back tracking? I doubt that. It suggests to me that Alvarez was noncommittal at best.

 

[FightOnState]

Riseandfire: Yeah, Ryan's assistant (forget his name) surely has some things going for him (familiarity with the system and the players, continuity, experience with the school, its recruiting system and relationships, etc.), and it's hard to fault Ryan for being loyal to his assistant.

OTOH, what was to stop Ryan from lobbying vociferously for his assistant, but privately (i.e., not in the press)? By making an issue of it in his retirement announcement, he effectively pushes the Wisconsin AD (Barry Alvarez?) into a bit of a corner. Everyone now knows who Ryan's preferred successor is, and the AD now risks looking a bit ungrateful and disloyal to his longtime, beloved hoops coach if he goes with someone else as his successor. This, even though the most essential parts of an AD's job are hiring the head football and head basketball coach and the AD, not the former coach, is the primary person who is gonna be judged on any such hire. It could be argued from the other side, I'm sure, but Ryan surely gave his AD a little less flexibility by putting the issue out there in the public eye.

Here's the other thing I wonder: Ryan said he discussed his prospective retirement with Alvarez, so it is likely the subject of a successor came up. Why would Ryan have made a public announcement of his preference if Alvarez was already on board? To prevent Alvarez from back tracking? I doubt that. It suggests to me that Alvarez was noncommittal at best.

Maybe Barry will insert himself as interim head coach while he mulls it over.