Oregon Athletics
The Oregon Ducks’ season came to an end Tuesday evening with a 61-58 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the National Invitation Tournament, and of course head coach Dana Altman was upset about that. But Altman was also upset about something else: the fan support during the setback.
“You see the commitment that Wisconsin makes with the cheerleaders, the band,” Altman started in a lengthy statement about his displeasure. “We make a commitment, don’t get me wrong. But you can just see how important it is to them. It’s important to me. We should have more people have. All right? I mean, the guys played hard. Thirty-three hundred people—that’s not good enough. If it’s me, then get rid of me. If you need somebody else to be a promoter, to do something. But 3,330 people is embarrassing. I’m not in a very good mood, you can tell.”
Altman reiterated his statement about being the man in charge.
“If it’s me, then make the change,” he said. “Make the change. Somebody will hire me somewhere. I’ll go coach junior college ball. I love junior college ball. Those guys are dogs. They want to be in the gym all the time. I love those guys. But 3,300 people? For Wisconsin? I’m disappointed. And I appreciate the people who came. The 3,300 people who did come, great. I sure appreciate them, the people who have stuck with us.
“Again, I’m not a promoter. I’m not out in public. I don’t have Twitter and all that stuff. My job is to coach.”
This season, Altman coached the Ducks to a 21-15 record and fourth-place finish in the Pac-12. That included a 12-8 mark in league play. But they missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and were unable to advance to the NIT Semifinals in Las Vegas.
Dana Altman Calls Oregon Fan Support at NIT ‘Embarrassing,’ Says ‘If It’s Me, Then Make the Change’
The Oregon Ducks’ season came to an end Tuesday evening with a 61-58 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the National Invitation Tournament, and of course head coach Dana Altman was upset about that. But Altman was also upset about something else: the fan support during the setback.
“You see the commitment that Wisconsin makes with the cheerleaders, the band,” Altman started in a lengthy statement about his displeasure. “We make a commitment, don’t get me wrong. But you can just see how important it is to them. It’s important to me. We should have more people have. All right? I mean, the guys played hard. Thirty-three hundred people—that’s not good enough. If it’s me, then get rid of me. If you need somebody else to be a promoter, to do something. But 3,330 people is embarrassing. I’m not in a very good mood, you can tell.”
Altman reiterated his statement about being the man in charge.
“If it’s me, then make the change,” he said. “Make the change. Somebody will hire me somewhere. I’ll go coach junior college ball. I love junior college ball. Those guys are dogs. They want to be in the gym all the time. I love those guys. But 3,300 people? For Wisconsin? I’m disappointed. And I appreciate the people who came. The 3,300 people who did come, great. I sure appreciate them, the people who have stuck with us.
“Again, I’m not a promoter. I’m not out in public. I don’t have Twitter and all that stuff. My job is to coach.”
This season, Altman coached the Ducks to a 21-15 record and fourth-place finish in the Pac-12. That included a 12-8 mark in league play. But they missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and were unable to advance to the NIT Semifinals in Las Vegas.
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