The latest on Thad Matta after the Georgia offer

Is Thad Matta about to become the next head coach of the Georgia basketball team?

He’s apparently giving it some long and deep thought.

A person familiar with the situation told UGASports, it’s believed the former Ohio State coach is close to accepting the job, providing he can successfully mitigate his current buyout with the Buckeyes.

Matta spent Monday in Athens visiting with both athletic director Greg McGarity and President Jere Morehead before flying back to his home in Indianapolis just after 7 p.m. ET.

So, what is the mitigation and how might it affect what ultimately happens?

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Ohio State board of trustees approved a buyout for Matta last February of 9,001,096.86. Of the total, it was agreed that Matta would be paid a lump sum of $4.3 million in December with monthly payments to follow totaling more than $100,000 through June of 2020. Medical benefits would also be included for Matta, who suffers with back issues following a back surgery gone wrong in 2007 that left him without a fully-functioning right foot.

Part of the contract, noted by the paper as Section 5.2a, states that Matta is required to mitigate Ohio State’s obligations by making diligent efforts to find a comparable employment position as soon as possible.

The contract reads that includes a broadcasting job, or an assistant or head coaching job in the NBA or college in the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big East, Big 12, Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Mountain West or American Athletic.

Matta’s contract also states that medical benefits would cease once he finds a new job and that Ohio State would be able to recoup some of the money the former Buckeye coach has already received.

The second part of the stipulation is believed to be the focus of the mitigation between the two. If it can be settled to both parties mutual satisfaction, Matta is expected to accept the job.

Matta, 50, would replace Mark Fox, who was fired on Saturday after the Bulldogs (18-15) failed to qualify for the NCAAs.

At Ohio State, Matta led the Buckeyes to the NCAAs in nine of his 13 years in Columbus, including two trips to the Final Four.

Matta and the school mutually agreed that he’d step down following the 2016-2017 campaign season after the Buckeyes failed to make the NCAAs for the second year in a row.