Thad Matta buyout, contract details as Butler Bulldogs coach

Thad Matta returned for a fourth season as Butler’s men’s basketball coach in 2025-26, with his position secure despite outside speculation following a lackluster 2024-25 campaign.

Matta signed a multi-year contract in April 2022 to replace LaVall Jordan and has remained backed by athletic director Grant Leiendecker. But given the fact the Bulldogs last NCAA tournament appearance came in 2018, another rebuild might be on the horizon. 

Leiendecker has publicly stated Matta's job was never in question, even as the Bulldogs hovered around .500 for much of the 2025-26 season.

As of the 2024-25 fiscal year, Matta’s compensation package — including base salary and bonuses — was approximately $2.36 million annually, placing him among the higher-paid coaches in the Big East, according to Paint Touches. 

Thad Matta buyout terms

Specific contract length and buyout provisions have not been publicly disclosed by the university.

However, tax filing data compiled by Paint Touches suggests a likely pro-rated buyout structure beginning July 1 each year. Based on that framework, an estimated buyout would approximate $2.3 million per remaining year on the contract, multiplied by the years left at the time of termination. Butler has not confirmed those figures.

Thad Matta coaching history

Through four seasons back at his alma mater, Matta has compiled a 62-66 record. He guided the Bulldogs to the 2024 NIT and the 2025 College Basketball Crown but has yet to secure an NCAA Tournament berth during his second stint.

Before returning to Butler, Matta became the winningest coach in Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball history and previously led Xavier. 

After his departure from Ohio State in 2017, he received a $9 million buyout that included a $4.3 million lump sum and monthly payments through June 2020 under a mitigation clause.

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