Indiana refutes reports it had agreement with Thad Matta to become Hoosiers men's basketball coach

Indiana has refuted reports claiming it had an agreement with former Ohio State coach Thad Matta for its open men’s basketball coaching position that fell through due to medical concerns. 

Speaking with IndyStar, a person with knowledge of the situation denied the Matta reports on Monday. The person was granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. The reports surfaced barely more than one week into the Hoosiers’ search for a replacement for Archie Miller.

Matta has been mentioned since the outset of the search as one of several candidates for the job, but it’s unclear whether he has spoken formally with Indiana about the position. 

Matta posted a 439-154 record (.740) during a 17-year coaching career, spread across Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.

Matta went 12-11 against the Hoosiers across 13 seasons at Ohio State, and he recruited some of the state’s most outstanding players to Columbus. At his peak, his achievements would be a dream for IU fans — nine-time Big Ten regular-season or tournament champion, three-time Big Ten coach of the year, two-time Final Four participant.

Health issues appeared to slow Matta, 53, near the end of his Ohio State tenure, as he won just 38 games in his last two seasons and recruiting slumped. But according to reports, Matta wants to return to coaching under the right circumstances. 

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.