Report: Former Big Ten Coach of the Year 'blindsided' by firing
Former Ohio State men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann was "blindsided" by the program's decision to fire him on Wednesday, according to a report by Dana O'Neil of The Athletic.
The Buckeyes announced that associate head coach Jake Diebler will take over as the interim leader for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
Holtmann joined Ohio State ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, following three years at Gardner-Webb and three more at Butler. He took over at OSU after three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Thad Matta guided the team for 13 seasons, leading them to two Final Fours and an appearance in the national title game.
Holtmann's debut campaign with the Buckeyes was his best one, as he led the squad to a 25-9 record and No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament before the group lost in the second round. Holtmann was named that season's Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Ohio State qualified for March Madness each of their next three opportunities (there was no tournament in 2020) but never made it out of the second round. The Buckeyes earned a No. 2 seed in the 2021 bracket but were stunned by No. 15 Oral Roberts in their tournament opener.
They've gone just 30-30 with a 9-25 conference record in the last two seasons and have been especially bad on the road.
OSU's loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night was its 16th straight road setback, which is tied for the longest streak in team history, per O'Neil's report. Their last road victory came on Jan. 1, 2023.
According to a team source, Holtmann met with athletic director Gene Smith last week and while the AD "made it clear" that making the NCAA Tournament was "critical" the "plan was to see the season through" under Holtmann.
More must-reads: