Butler assistant coach Greg Oden, a former No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, told The Indianapolis Star he is leaving the Bulldogs. Oden was one of the first hires made by Thad Matta, Oden’s coach when he played at Ohio State, after he took over the Bulldogs in 2022.
It’s not yet clear where Oden will be headed, but Butler is reportedly targeting a familiar name to fill his position in Connor McCaffery, who is an assistant coach with the local Indiana Pacers. McCaffery’s current gig with the Pacers is roughly a 20-minute drive from Hinkle Fieldhouse.
McCaffery has been with the Pacers for just over one year after spending six years playing at Iowa under his father, Fran McCaffery. Should he leave for the Bulldogs, he’d have the opportunity to coach his younger brother, Patrick, who is entering his first year with the program after transferring from Iowa, and also have a chance to stay close to girlfriend Caitlin Clark, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever.
The McCaffery’s youngest brother, Jack, is also committed to Butler as a 2025 recruit. He’s ranked inside the top 150 players in his class and chose the Bulldogs early this year over options that included Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Oden was originally hired to Matta’s staff in April 2022 as the director of basketball operations before being elevated into an assistant coaching role in conjunction with the NCAA’s expansion of on-court instructors. He also has previous experience at his alma mater, Ohio State, where he served as graduate assistant during the 2021-22 season under then-coach Chris Holtmann.
Oden was selected No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft before a series of knee injuries ultimately cut short his promising career. He was the Naismith Player of the Year for the Buckeyes in his one-and-done season, where he averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and helped lead the team to the national championship game.
