Longtime basketball coach at Big Ten school retires abruptly

SportsSEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 09: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks reacts against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena on March 09, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Getty ImagesBy Ryan Clarke | The Oregonian/OregonLiveThe winningest coach in Oregon men’s basketball history is calling it a career with less than three weeks to go before the season.Longtime Ducks coach Dana Altman announced his retirement on Wednesday, effective immediately, the school announced. Altman, 68, was set to begin his 17th season with Oregon and 38th overall as a collegiate head coach.“I have had to make two really tough decisions in my coaching career,” Altman said in a release. “The first was leaving Creighton, a place my family and I dearly loved, to come to Oregon. This is the second. I’ve loved every minute of coaching here, and stepping away is difficult and truly painful. I love coaching, it’s what I know best and what I’ve been fortunate enough to do for almost five decades. I’m going to miss my coaches, my players and our incredible fans more than I can express.“But I know this is the right thing to do at this time. I want to thank former AD Pat Kilkenny for giving me a chance here, Phil Knight and Tim Boyle for their constant and unwavering support, my coaches and players past and present, Rob, President Scholz, and of course our amazing fans. It’s been the honor of my life to coach the Ducks.”Assistant coach Tony Stubblefield will serve as Oregon’s interim coach for the 2026-27 season as Altman plans to step away from the game for reasons he has not yet disclosed.Altman had a record of 382-182 in 16 seasons with the Ducks, taking the team to nine NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2017. He arrived at Oregon after 16 seasons at Creighton, where he amassed a record of 327-176.But the Ducks had their worst season in Altman’s tenure last year, going 12-20 as the coach lamented various changes impacting college sports, including NIL and the transfer portal. Essentially Oregon’s entire roster turned over in the offseason, and the Ducks began practicing in recent weeks ahead of their opener Nov. 2 against Montana.Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Born and raised in Beaverton, he graduated from Arizona State University in 2018. His award-winning journalism has been recognized by the...