Wisconsin’s Ryan to coach one more year then retire

IOWA CITY - Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan announced Monday he will lead the Badgers for just one more season then retire as coach.

Ryan, 67, guided the Badgers to the NCAA championship game in April before falling 68-63 to Duke. Wisconsin's 36-4 record was the best in school history.

'Back in the spring, in the days after the national championship game, (Wisconsin Athletics Director) Barry Alvarez and I discussed the possibility of me retiring,” Ryan said in a statement. '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.”

Ryan has established Wisconsin as one of college basketball's elite programs. In Ryan's 14 seasons, Wisconsin boasts a 172-68 (71.7 percent) Big Ten record, the best winning percentage in league history. In all 14 years, Ryan has earned a bye in the Big Ten tournament. The Badgers have competed in seven NCAA Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and two Final Fours under Ryan.

Spanning his 31-year career as a head coach, Ryan has compiled a 740-228 record including stops at Wisconsin-Platteville, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and now Wisconsin-Madison. He won four NCAA Division III titles in Platteville, where his teams posted two undefeated seasons. Last season, Wisconsin won both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles.

This year, the Badgers led the nation in fewest fouls (12.4), turnovers (7.4) and opponent free-throw attempts (11.6). Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky was named the consensus national player of the year. Kaminsky and Badgers forward Sam Dekker were first-round NBA draft picks last week.

The loss in the NCAA title game was heartbreaking for Wisconsin players and coaches. The Badgers built a nine-point, second-half lead only to see Duke overcome the deficit and pull out the win. In particular, it was difficult for Ryan to express what his group of players meant to him.

'I've been surrounded by a lot, from the administration to the players, coaches, support staff,” Ryan said at the Final Four. 'Wisconsin is a pretty neat place. I've had a chance to coach all different kinds of personalities, all different kinds of guys from different walks of life. I'm really lucky. I didn't say in 2001 when I came in. One thing I said in the press conference, when asked, ‘What do you expect to do here as a head coach?' Compete for the upper half of the Big Ten every year, finish towards the top, have a chance for a conference championship, and have a chance to play in the NCAA tournament every year. OK, so I got lucky in that statement. But it's been a lot of fun and it's due to a lot of people.”

Gard has spent 22 seasons as an assistant under Ryan, dating to their days at Wisconsin-Platteville and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Ryan was 19-7 against Iowa in his 14 seasons, and the Badgers have beaten Iowa the last five straight. This year the squads are scheduled to play just once - at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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