INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WCMH) -- Former Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta is returning to the sidelines as the new head coach of the Butler Bulldogs.
The news surprised members of the college basketball community after multiple sources indicated Ohio Bobcats coach Jeff Boals was among the leading candidates for the position.
Matta hasn't coached college hoops in five years after leaving the Buckeyes in 2017 due to health issues.
He won 337 games at Ohio State over 13 seasons that included six appearances in the NCAA Tournament, two of which the Buckeyes made the Final Four.
Matta's first head coaching job was with Butler back in the 2000-01 season where he led the Bulldogs to a 24-8 record and a second round appearance in March Madness.
The connections don't stop there for the new Butler coach who graduated from the school and played basketball as a Bulldog.
His wife Barb and two daughters Ali and Emily also attended the Indiana university.
Matta will be introduced at Butler's campus on Wednesday. The Bulldogs have missed the last two NCAA tournaments and are a decade removed from two consecutive runs to the NCAA title game.
