Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman suddenly retires right before 2026-27 season

The Oregon men's basketball program faced a surprise announcement on Wednesday that coach Dana Altman will suddenly retire right before the 2026-27 season. Oregon officials confirmed the news shortly after Jeff Goodman reported it. In a statement, Altman revealed that this decision was a difficult one, stating, "I have had to make two really tough decisions in my coaching career."

He added, "The first was leaving Creighton, a place my family and I dearly loved, to come to Oregon. This is the second." Altman expressed his gratitude to numerous individuals and groups, including former AD Pat Kilkenny, Phil Knight, Tim Boyle, his coaches and players, President Scholz, and the fans. He acknowledged that stepping away from his role is both painful and difficult, but ultimately, he feels it's the right thing to do.

Assistant coach Tony Stubblefield has been appointed as the interim head coach for the entire 2026-27 season, paving the way for a national search to find Altman's successor. Throughout his tenure at Oregon, Altman led the Ducks to nine NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2016-17. In 37 seasons as a Division I head coach, he amassed a 792-425 record, which places him 15th in terms of wins in NCAA history.