Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan Announces His Plans to Retire after Next Season

Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan announced Monday that he plans on retiring after next season.

Ryan, who led the Badgers to back-to-back trips to the Final Four, released a statement announcing his retirement plans. The 67-year-old coach hopes that his longtime assistant Greg Gard will be promoted.

His statement read:

"Back in the spring, in the days after the national championship game, [athletic director] Barry Alvarez and I discussed the possibility of me retiring. I've always been told that is not a decision to make right after a season is completed. Barry thankfully encouraged me to take some time to think about it and I have done that. I considered retiring this summer or coaching one more season.

I've decided to coach one more season with the hope that my longtime assistant Greg Gard eventually becomes the head coach at Wisconsin. I am looking forward to another year with our program, including our players, my terrific assistant coaches, our office staff and everyone who supports Wisconsin basketball here in Madison, around the state and across the country."

Ryan has led the Badgers to the NCAA tournament every single season for 14 years. They were one game away from taking the championship this past season. However, after knocking out the heavy favorite, Kentucky, the Badgers fell short against Duke.

Ryan's impressive record is at 357-125.

ESPN reported that Ryan is not stepping down due to health reasons.

Before Wisconsin, Ryan spent two years at Milwaukee.