Report: Thad Matta will not take Georgia basketball job

Former Ohio State coach Thad Matta was in the running to succeed Mark Fox at Georgia, but has decided to not take the job.

That’s according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.

Thad Matta told ESPN he is not taking the Georgia job. Story coming.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 14, 2018

The Bulldogs sent Matta home this week with a lucrative offer, but that ultimately wasn’t enough to sway him. Georgia would have given him a 5-year deal worth at least $15 million, according to DawgNation’s Seth Emerson.

“It was the most difficult decision because Georgia is a tremendous opportunity for a coach to build a great program,” Matta told Goodman. “Unfortunately, I just don’t feel that I am completely ready at this point to give Greg McGarity and Georgia what they deserve.”

Matta has dealt with serious health issues in recent years, which ultimately led to his departure from Ohio State. In his exit press conference with the Buckeyes, Matta detailed some of the issues he had been dealing with.

According to Emerson, former Indiana coach Tom Crean has also been in contact with Georgia officials. Crean is currently a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

Another potential candidate is College of Charleston coach Earl Grant, whose team plays Auburn in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. Grant has led the Cougars to back-to-back 25-win seasons after inheriting a rebuild in 2014-15.

Georgia’s next coach will inherit a good situation from Fox, who was in Athens for nine seasons. Freshmen forwards Nicolas Claxton and Rayshaun Hammonds are both expected back, as are guards Teshaun Hightower and Tyree Crump.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.