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http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/frank-kaminsky-wisconsin-bo-ryan-retirement-charlotte-hornets-121715
Inevitable but shocking. Those are three words that I think perfectly sum up the recent retirement of Wisconsin head basketball coach Bo Ryan. It was inevitable because Ryan, at 68, was not expected to go on much longer. But it was shocking because it happened during the season before conference play even started. It is also amazing to think that just eight months ago, Ryan was coaching against Duke in the National Title Game. Now he's gone? He coaches twelve games in the season, and quits before conference play begins?
That last line was not written to criticize Ryan, but just to state how surprising the timing of this announcement was. Had Ryan decided to walk away before or after the season started, it would have been startling, but not all that surprising. Since this announcement came in season, it's very surprising. I was very shocked when I read that Ryan was stepping down, but I completely understand why he did so. When it's time, it's time. It would make sense to say that Bo should have finished out the season, but if he felt that it was time to go who are any of us to question him on the timing?
The Badgers, for the time being, will be in the hands of Ryan's right- hand man, Greg Gard. Earlie this summer, Ryan announced plans to retire at the end of the upcoming season, and named Gard as his preferred successor. Gard had been working alongside Ryan since 1993, and this looks to be a situation similar to that of when Bill Guthridge took over at UNC when Dean Smith retired in 1997. Wisconsin is in the hands of Gard for now, but athletic director Barry Alvarez will conduct a national coaching search. With the Badgers struggling at 7-5, the job may not be as appealing to outside candidates as it has been the past few years, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
I was never a big Bo Ryan guy. He always struck me as a cold personality who would scream at the refs any chance he got, and I used to comment on the similarities between him and the grinch. Although I warmed up to Ryan in his last season, he is certainly not one of my favorite coaches of all time. That being said, he built Wisconson basketball into one of he most consistent programs in the country since 2001 and won at Wisconsin-Platteville and Millawkue before he took over in Madison. Ryan's 747 wins are one ahead of Kansas legend Phog Allen for 30th all time. He is well qualified for induction into the College Basketball Hall of Fame sometime shortly.
Ryan's list of accomplishments include.:
Four NCAA Division III National Championships while at Wisconsin-Platteville
Three Big Ten tournament championships
Four Big 10 Regular Season Championships
Four-time Big 10 Coach of the Year
Qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of his 14 full seasons at Wisconsin
Seven Sweet 16 appearances
Three Elite 8 appearances
Two final four appearances
2015 National Runner-Up
Looks like a Hall of Fame resume to me. The most tragic thing about Ryan's coaching tenure is that, just like Purdue's Gene Keady and Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutten, he never won a national title. That's a shame because the man truly deserved it. Ryan had tremendous success at Wisconsin despite his program not being able to reel in the hotshot recruits that teams such as Duke and UNC have been doing for so many years. Sure, Ryan did have his share of stars, such as Frank Kaminsky, Alando Tucker, and Devin Harris, but his teams primarily consisted of lesser athletes who knew how to do the little things well. Wisconsin's teams were built on passing, defense and outside shooting. In my opinion, Ryan's most important win was also one of his last.
Here is Kentucky's starting five for last year's national semifinal against Ryan's Badgers:
Willie Cauley-Stein- 6th overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Carl-Anthony Towns- 1st overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Andrew Harrison- 44th overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Aaron Harrison- Undrafted, Shooting Guard for the Charlotte Hornets
Trey Lyles- 12th overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Here is Wisconsin's starting five for that same game:
Frank Kaminsky- 9th overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Nigel Hayes- Still in school
Sam Dekker- 18th overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft
Josh Gasser- Playing in Germany
Bronson Koening- Not playing anywhere
Wisconsin had to go up against a team that most thought would finish the season as undefeated National Champions, and Bo had his guys ready. The game was the epitome of what Wisconsin Basketball under Bo Ryan was all about: passing the basketball, having long possessions, slowing the game down. Wisconsin did all of those things well, and Ryan outcoached John Calipari on this night. Bucky would pull off a major upset, and although they would fall to Duke in the title game, the 2014-15 Badgers will be forever remembered for that upset.
While guys like Coach Cal, Coach K, and Roy Williams have been known for recruiting "one and done's", Ryan's players often stayed all four years. Bo was able to teach teamwork over flash, and that's why he won.
While Bo Ryan isn't quite on the level of John Wooden, Coach K or Bob Knight as an all-time great, he is a basketball legend, and he will be greatly missed in this game. See you in the Hall, coach.
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