College Basketball Shocker!

Nothing lasts forever. Not a life, not a career, not a promise.

University of Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan decided last summer he would retire after the season. This would be his 14^th year with the Badgers, whom he had directed to two Final Four appearances. He wanted to exit gracefully and hand off to his trusted assistant, Greg Gard.

Now, with a young and struggling team, Ryan’s timetable has changed abruptly. He announced his immediate retirement after a victory Tuesday night over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Badgers are 7-5.
 
“This was a decision months in the making,” said Ryan, who turns 68 next week. “I brought this up to (athletic director) Barry (Alvarez) 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.”
 
Ryan is the winningest coach in Wisconsin history, with 364 victories. The Badgers reached the NCAA Tournament in every year of his tenure and they won seven Big Ten titles along the way. Last year’s team earned a school-record 36 wins and reached the national championship game, which it lost to Duke.

With recruiting nastier than it has ever been and uncertainty a black flag for kids weighing various offers, perhaps Ryan made the right decision for him and the school. If we’re holding a bit begrudging, it’s because we never like to see a class act depart sooner rather than later. But nothing lasts forever.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .