This afternoon the news broke that Thad Matta, Ohio State’s long-time men’s basketball coach, was stepping down due to health reasons. The move is somewhat of a surprise, as he is one of the most successful active coaches in the league. His health has been an issue for some time, however:
Matta: “I went through a year where I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t take my shoes off after a game, my pants off after a game."
— Tim Shoemaker (@TimShoemaker) June 5, 2017
Among the 14 active coaches in the conference he is one of only four that have won a conference crown:
Big Ten Championships among active coaches:
Tom Izzo - 7 regular season titles, 5 conference tournament titles
Thad Matta – 5 regular season, 4 conference tournament
John Beilein - 2 regular season, 1 conference tournament
Matt Painter - 2 regular season, 1 conference tournament
Everyone else: Nothing
Since Illinois pulled off the double in 2005 with their national runner-up team only six schools: Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, and Indiana, have won either the Big Ten Tournament or the regular season title.