Oregon will begin its basketball season with a new head coach after Dana Altman announced his immediate retirement Wednesday, ending a 16-season run with the Ducks.
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Longtime assistant Tony Stubblefield will serve as interim coach for the upcoming season. Oregon opens Nov. 2 against Montana, leaving less than a month to prepare for the transition.
Altman described stepping away as one of the two toughest decisions of his coaching career, alongside leaving Creighton for Oregon in 2010.
"I've loved every minute of coaching here, and stepping away is difficult and truly painful," Altman said in a school statement, according to CBS Sports' Cameron Salerno.
"I love coaching, it's what I know best and what I've been fortunate enough to do for almost five decades."
Altman leaves as Oregon's winningest coach, with 382 victories. He guided the Ducks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2017 Final Four, along with four Pac-12 regular-season championships and four conference tournament titles.
His career also included stops at Marshall, Kansas State and Creighton, totaling 792 victories.
The announcement follows a difficult season for Oregon. The Ducks finished 12-20 overall and 5-15 in Big Ten play.
Stubblefield previously served as DePaul's head coach before returning to Oregon's staff in 2024.
"Our student-athletes know him and trust him, and he is the right person to lead the Ducks this season," athletic director Rob Mullens said.
Altman acknowledged how much he would miss his players, coaches and fans, but said he was comfortable with his decision.
"But I know this is the right thing to do at this time," he said.
