Did Dana Altman cement his job as the Oregon men’s basketball head coach?

The Ducks shocked the world this season after battling endless injuries and a pieced-together squad. Dana Altman, Oregon’s head coach since 2010, led the Ducks to an astonishing Pac-12 Tournament title and the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Despite a rocky regular season, Altman was able to align Rubik’s Cubes as Duck fans so lovingly said throughout the year.

Oregon and Altman failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023 which had many college basketball fans calling for a new head coach of the Ducks’ program.

However, after Oregon’s miraculous postseason, has Altman secured his spot with the Ducks for years to come?

Dana Altman’s tournament history with the Ducks

When Altman took over the Ducks’ program for the 2010-11 season, Oregon failed to reach the NCAA Tournament but instead won the CBI championship. The following year, the Ducks made the NIT quarterfinals but failed to go any farther.

Since his first two years with the program, Altman and the Ducks have had seven NCAA Tournament appearances. 

Altman has led the Ducks to a Final Four, an Elite Eight, and five Sweet Sixteen births but has failed to take his team to the championship game.

Oregon’s 2023-24 season summarized

The Ducks had some astonishing wins to start their season, taking down the Michigan Wolverines and the Georgia Bulldogs. However, the beginning of the season also led to massive hurdles for Oregon to overcome.

Seniors Jesse Zarzuela and N’Faly Dante were injured early on, Zarzuela’s injury ending his season with the Ducks.

Junior center Nate Bittle was also injured and returned momentarily before falling ill and not being able to finish his season. Mookie Cook and Kwame Evans Jr. also suffered injuries throughout the year, limiting their playing time for Altman.

Despite all of this, and relying almost entirely on underclassmen, the Ducks earned their spot in the Big Dance. 

Altman being able to coach this team, which truly had no business making a run in the postseason, to a Round of 32, double overtime game against the Creighton Bluejays has cemented his spot in Eugene for a long while.

Dana Altman’s longevity with the Ducks

Earlier this March, Altman, who is 65 years old, said that he isn’t ready to retire anytime soon. 

In 2022, Altman and Oregon agreed to a six-year contract extension, ensuring his job until 2028. If Oregon wanted to go a different direction, or if Altman found a different job for himself, the Ducks’ head coach currently has a buyout of $3 million.

“Dana Altman says he is not retiring after this season,” The Oregonian stated. “Oregon’s 14th-year head coach shot down speculative reports that he could be stepping away at the end of the season.”

On Monday morning, freshman guard Jackson Shelstad shared a tweet that he would be back next season and included a picture of him alongside Altman.