Cara Owsley/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK

Is Top Candidate To Replace Chris Holtmann Emerging?

Originally posted on FanNation Buckeyes Now
By Matt Galatzan | Last updated 2/28/24

The Ohio State Buckeyes fired head basketball coach Chris Holtmann earlier this month, after two consecutive years of struggles on the hardwood.

In the absence of Holtmann, assistant Jake Diebler took over as the interim head coach and has led the Buckeyes to a 2-1 record, including a massive win over the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers.

However, the search for Holtmann's true replacement is still underway, and according to reports from Eleven Warriors, a potential name may have already made its way to the front of the list.

Xavier Musketeers coach, Sean Miller.

As one of the more experienced coaches in the game today, Miller certainly fits with what the Buckeyes are looking for.

Not only is he intimately familiar with the state of Ohio from his seven combined seasons with Xavier, but he also sits with a career record of 455-170 over total 19 seasons, with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including eight trips to the Sweet 16 and four Elite Eight bids.

The bulk of Miller's success came at the highest level with Arizona, where he coached 12 of his 19 seasons. During that time, reached seven NCAA tournaments, had four seasons of 30-plus wins, three more seasons of 25 wins or more, and made the Elite Eight three times.

As for when a final decision is expected to be made, new Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork wants to have something done sooner rather than later.

“The key in all of this is because we have this time we can really do a lot of research,” Bjork told the Columbus Dispatch. "We should have an idea of where are we by Selection Sunday. Are we zeroed in on finalists? Are we zeroed in on a bigger group? Are they still playing? A lot of things will filter out over the next couple of weeks.”

This article first appeared on FanNation Buckeyes Now and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: