Matta

Posted on: March 9, 2017 at 14:09:34 CT

"I think it's ridiculous that we have to do stuff like that. Gene and I met a couple weeks ago. It's amazing what people do nowadays. This is a very fickle business that we're in," Matta said in Washington, where Ohio State lost to Rutgers 66-57. "Unless you're intimately involved on a day-to-day basis, people choose the negative side of things. It's what they do."

Matta wasn't done.

"Obviously, gas is poured on the fire," he said. "It's sad that sports has come to where you got to do stuff like that."

In his statement, Smith said: "While we are not currently where we aspire to be with our performance on the court, Thad understands better than anyone that component has to improve. I am confident in his leadership to return the program to the winning ways that we have all enjoyed during his 13-year tenure."