Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan announces immediate retirement

Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan, the winningest coach in Badgers history who has taken the team to back-to-back Final Fours, is retiring.

Ryan, whose decision is effective immediately, will be replaced on an interim basis by associate head coach Greg Gard, the school said.

“After months of conversation with Barry Alvarez and his administrative staff, as well as my wife, Kelly, I have decided that now is the right time to step down from the head coaching position here at Wisconsin,” Ryan said in a statement from the school.

“This was a decision months in the making. I brought this up to Barry back in April. He advised me to take some time to think it over and I appreciated that. But in recent weeks, I have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to retire and for Greg Gard to have the opportunity to coach the team for the remainder of the season. I discussed this with Barry and I appreciate him giving me the space to make this decision.”

Wisconsin is 7-5 this season with losses to Western Illinois and Wisconsin-Milwaukee one season after setting a school record with 36 wins.

Ryan, a 2015 Naismith Hall of Fame finalist who won four NCAA Division III championships at Wisconsin-Platteville, has won 364 games in 14 seasons with the Badgers.

“I want to thank Bo Ryan for everything he has done for our athletic department, the state of Wisconsin and certainly the Badgers basketball program,” Alvarez, Wisconsin’s Director of Athletics, said in a statement. “He oversaw an incredible run of sustained success and helped elevate Wisconsin among the nation’s elite programs. He is truly a Hall of Fame coach and led our program to the most successful era in school history. He will be missed.”

Ryan has 747 career wins and 19 championships overall. Seven of those championships game in the Big Ten Conference, and he oversaw the 11 winningest seasons in Wisconsin history.