Countless national media articles bash AD Gene Smith for the timing of Matta's termination.  Had Smith fired Matta immediately following the Big Ten Tournament, the pool of candidates would not have plausibly included NBA head coaches whose teams were still competing for the playoffs (e.g. Hoiberg, Donovan).  With the early June firing, Smith may have opened himself up to a more home run hire. The timing may foreshadow the hiring of a current NBA coach to fill OSU's head coaching position.