Things were looking pretty promising for the Butler Bulldogs earlier this season, weren’t they? But fast forward to now, and it’s safe to say the mood has taken a nosedive. Day by day, the disappointment is mounting for fans, and you know what? A lot of them are pointing fingers squarely at head coach Thad Matta. But there are also whispers that the Bulldogs’ “lucky charm,” Caitlin Clark, hasn’t been courtside, and it’s been nothing but bad news ever since.

Wednesday night was just another chapter. The Bulldogs hosted Villanova, hoping to snap their five-game losing streak. But alas, things didn’t quite go their way. Butler had a strong start, leading by 13 points with just six minutes left in the game. It looked like they might finally break the curse. But Villanova flipped the script.

The Wildcats unleashed a 22-1 run in the final minutes to snatch a 73-65 victory. Eric Dixon was an absolute beast, dropping 28 points, while Wooga Poplar added 18 and dominated the boards with 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, Butler’s Jahmyl Telfort gave it his all—25 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists—but it just wasn’t enough. To make things worse, the Bulldogs couldn’t sink a shot in the last six minutes, going 1-for-11 from the floor.

Ever since Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, joined Butler as an assistant coach, she’s been a regular fixture at their games. Fans even dubbed her their “lucky charm” because the team was on fire when she was courtside. But it all began when the WNBA star missed a game against Houston on December 7. 

Without her in the stands, Butler suffered a brutal loss. Coincidence? Fans don’t think so. And now, with this losing streak, some are seriously starting to wonder if her absence is more than just a quirky superstition.

However, most believe it’s Thad Matta’s coaching. Back in 2000-01, he led the team to a school-record 24 wins and even took them to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Those were the glory days, and Matta was hailed as a rising star. But, well, times change. Now, fans are grumbling that the magic is gone, and maybe it’s time for Matta to hang up his boots.

Butler fans rip into Thad Matta and Co.

The Butler Bulldogs fan base is clearly losing its patience, and the comments are as fiery as the team’s recent collapse. Starting with the chef’s kiss of all blunders. One fan said, “It’s time for Thad to retire. The Pierre Brooks 25-foot contested 3 up double digits was INSANE. And no timeout after that? Yikes. 22-1 run to end the game 😂😂😂😂😂😂.” 

Seriously, Brooks chucking up that contested shot when they were up double digits was bad enough, but Thad not calling a timeout after Villanova started their run? That’s coaching 101. Another fan didn’t hold back either, saying, “Coaching staff must go.” Which, by the way, also includes Clark’s boyfriend. Now, this one’s spicy for a couple of reasons.

The coaching staff, led by Thad Matta, hasn’t exactly been hitting the right notes- be it poor shot selections, weak defensive adjustments, or that bizarre refusal to use timeouts effectively. At this point, it’s not just about Matta, the entire bench is under fire.

“Hang it up for the year. Investigate the program,” wrote another. And you know, they might be onto something. At this stage, the Bulldogs’ season seems beyond saving. Instead of trying to salvage the wreckage, maybe it’s time to refocus, regroup, and figure out what’s really broken. Is it the coaching? The players? The management? Whatever it is, fans are calling for a full-on audit.

Then there’s the Finley Bizjack situation. “How is Thad still coaching and Finley still starting,” penned one. Bizjack has started 12 games this season, but his performances haven’t exactly set the court on fire. He even went scoreless in one game. For a team with such a growing list of problems, keeping a player in the starting lineup who hasn’t been delivering consistently only makes it worse.

“If Thad has a job tomorrow, I hope you can’t give season tickets away for free,” said one commenter. Fans are sharing snaps showing Butler had a 98% probability of winning that game against Villanova—98%! And yet, somehow, they still blew it. At this rate, people are so fed up that they wouldn’t even take free tickets.

“Don’t call a timeout while letting up an 18-point run, Thads a bum.” An 18-point run is painful enough to watch, but the fact that Matta didn’t call a timeout to stop the bleeding is almost unbelievable. Eric Dixon dropped 28 points on Butler, and Thad just stood there and let it happen.

It’s not looking good for the Bulldogs or their coaching staff right now. Fans have every reason to be upset. The big question now is, what’s next? Do the Bulldogs find a way to regroup and come out stronger? Or do they let this season go, focus on rebuilding, and come back with a vengeance? And the elephant in the room: will the program finally decide it’s time to part ways with Matta? Only time will tell!