University of Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan to retire after next season

MADISON— Wisconsin Badgers head men's basketball coach Bo Ryan says he plans to retire after next season.

Ryan made the surprising announcement on Monday, June 29th. Ryan says he considered retiring after the Badgers lost in the national championship game to Duke, but athletic director Barry Alvarez told him to take some time to think about it.

After mulling his future for a few months, the 67-year-old Ryan says he has decided to coach one more season. He also says he hopes longtime assistant Greg Gard will be chosen to replace him.

Ryan has coached the Badgers for 14 years. He led them to the Final Four in each of the past two seasons.

Ryan's most recent team was his most successful. With NBA draftees Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker starring, Wisconsin won 36 games and lost only four.

"It was pretty shocking to me, you know. We knew it was going to come someday, but it's kind of shocking that it's here now and this is his last year and everything he's done for this program has been really special, so it's going to be different seeing someone other then him on the sideline," Sam Dekker said.