Oregon Basketball season is right around the corner with the team set to kick off the exhibition portion of the preseason in just over a week. On Wednesday Afternoon with the season rapidly approaching, the Oregon Ducks community was stunned as news broke that long time head coach Dana Altman would be retiring.
After 16 seasons and 382 wins at Oregon, head coach Dana Altman has announced his retirement.
— Oregon Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) October 7, 2026
Tony Stubblefield has been named interim head coach for the 2026-27 season.
More: https://t.co/inqeJ3jy7W#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/K4Gm0fNIhG
The news comes as a massive shock given the fact that the team has been going through offseason workouts and the fact that Altman just spoke to the press.
Dana Altman leaves Oregon with a record of 382-182 with a 185-114 record in conference play between the Pac 12 and Big Ten. Altman took the team to the Final Four in 2017 while winning 4 Pac 12 tournaments and 4 regular season league titles.
Given that Altman was coming off the worst season of his Oregon tenure, there was a ton of intrigue around how the team would fair this season. Altman and his staff attacked the Transfer Portal, and rebuilt the roster, but he now hands the team off in stunning fashion. Oregon Basketball will have a new challenge to overcome this season, and for the first time in 16 years, Altman won't be at the helm of the program.
Altman was incredibly consistent for the Ducks after being hired in 2010, winning 20+ games every season until last year's team. Dana Altman will address the media later on Wednesday Night where he'll likely dive into the decision, but the fact that it was constantly rumored that he may retire, but he always came back speaks to how much he loved his teams and the program.
What's next for Oregon Basketball with Dana Altman retiring?
The team will be taken over by former DePaul Head Coach and current Oregon assistant Tony Stubblefield. By elevating Tony Stubblefield as interim head coach, it keeps the Transfer Portal from opening for 31 days as it will instead open for just 5 days. Given how close the upcoming season is, it may be hard for other teams to pick apart the roster which is the lone benefit of the timing.
With Oregon set to promote assistant coach and former DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield to interim head coach, the transfer portal will not open for 31 days instead of 5 days after Altman's retirement.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) October 7, 2026
Similar to Michigan basketball this summer. https://t.co/viKXUkNILO https://t.co/dcd62ytmum
Tony Stubblefield served as the head coach of DePaul from 2021 through the end of the 2024 season. During his 3 year tenure, DePaul posted a 28-54 record while going just 9-38 in league play.
Given the timing of the announcement, the only outcome was hiring an interim head coach as it's far too late in the process to launce a full search for a head coach. The Ducks will likely allow Stubblefield to audition for the job, and if the season doesn't go well they can launch a full-time search.
The question next offseason is going to become how much is Oregon willing to invest in the program as it'll set the ceiling for the roster, and the level of coach the Ducks can hire. NIL and Revenue Sharing are important factors for head coaches in any job search, and if Oregon is willing to spend at the level most Big Ten teams are, than the Ducks should attract a notable head coach.
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