Wisconsin's loss to Duke in the National Championship Game is not enough to influence Bo Ryan to retire, nor would a win have done so.
According to ESPN, the head men's Badgers basketball coach addressed his future at the Kohl Center after the Coaches vs. Cancer gala he hosted. The event made about $1.2 million for cancer research.
At 67, Ryan seems highly unlikely to coach anywhere else in college basketball, let alone make a jump to the NBA, where he has never coached. He is also under contract through the 2019-2020 season, but did not say if he plans to coach to end of the pact.
"I'm here at Wisconsin until I'm done coaching," Ryan told reporters. "We're going to be young next season and we will have a lot of work to do."
Ryan's Badgers are losing Frank Kaminsky, the reigning Wooden Award recipient, and Sam Dekker, one of the team's best players throughout the postseason. Wisconsin will be returning Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, who will take leadership of what should be a young team.
This season's National Title loss was Wisconsin's second consecutive trip to the Final Four.
"Of course it stings,'' Ryan said. "The only people who don't understand what we went through are people who have never been in that position. To get to a national championship game and be on the left-hand side at the end, that's tough. It's disappointing. But there will be a lot more adversity in life, so we'll be OK.
"If there is going to be more emphasis on offensive players going into defensive players and putting their head down, then we have to start doing it.
"I've learned over the years in Division III or at UW Milwaukee or here to make sure whatever knocks you out of the tournament, you are teaching that the next year."
