After 14 seasons of serving as the head coach for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, Bo Ryan has decided his 15th season will be his last, per a statement released by UW officials Monday afternoon.
In his career at Wisconsin, Ryan has posted a record of 357-125, won four Big Ten regular season championships, three Big Ten tournament championships and made it to 14 NCAA tournaments in 14 seasons.
He has been most successful in the last two seasons, as he led the program to consecutive Final Four appearances, which included a trip to the national championship game in April for the first time since 1941. Overall, Ryan has advanced to the Sweet 16 seven times and the Elite Eight three times.
Statement from #Badgers head coach Bo Ryan pic.twitter.com/pVSeO5eATC
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) June 29, 2015
Ryan’s final season at UW won’t be as easy as recent years, with four starters – Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Josh Gasser and Traevon Jackson – from last year’s national runner-up team who will not be returning. But, two potential all-Big Ten selections, Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, will be back, which was part of the reason Ryan decided to return for one more season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
One source close to Wisconsin program was surprised that Bo Ryan didn't announce his retirement immediately instead of coaching this year.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 29, 2015
One source close to program told ESPN that he feels like Bo Ryan decided to coach one more season due to loyalty to Nigel & Bronson Koenig.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 29, 2015
Ryan has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, with the most recent coming this past year when he led the Badgers to a 16-2 conference record.
In his college coaching career, Ryan has amassed a 740-228 record dating back to 1984 when he took his first college head coaching job at Division III UW-Platteville. Ryan went on to win four national championships at UW-Platteville before making the jump to Division I to coach UW-Milwaukee from 1999-2001.
According to the statement, Ryan’s hope is that associate head coach Greg Gard will fill his shoes following his retirement.
Gard is already second-in-command of the program.
He has been assistant to Ryan since 1993 when they coached at UW-Platteville and later at UW-Milwaukee, before both joining the Wisconsin coaching staff in 2003. Their career history largely lead to Gard’s promotion to associate head coach before the 2008 season.
