T.J. Otzelberger remains committed to Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger is going to be a name ot watch moving forward on the coaching carousel.

Otzelberger, 48, is one of the best coaches in the country. He's led Iowa State to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five seasons as head coach, and he currently has the No. 2-seeded Cyclones in a matchup with No. 6 Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

With jobs opening up across college basketball, including a big-time one with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Otzelberger took a moment to address any links between him and other schools.

We've heard this before, of course, but basically, he's not planning on leaving Ames, Iowa.

"As we move forward together, the alignment on our campus with [university president David] Cook, [athletic director] Jamie Pollard is amazing, and we're thrilled and excited about our future together," Otzelberger said at the team hotel on Wednesday, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. "There's no questions about it, there's nothing to talk about, there's nothing else to answer. That's the truth."

Iowa State has to feel great about retaining T.J. Otzelberger long-term

Otzelberger is 124-52 at Iowa State, and he's now taken the Cyclones to a third Sweet 16.

ISU gave him a contract extension in December of 2024 that will keep him locked in through the 2031-32 season at $4 million a year.

There's also a $4 million buyout, but that number is peanuts for a program like UNC. The Kansas Jayhawks could also be looking for a new head coach as well, should longtime head coach Bill Self decide to retire.

Ultimately, though, it doesn't sound like Otzelberger is interested in moving. A big-time contract could change that, as it usually does, but right now he's locked in with the Cyclones.

Excited for Cyclone Nation that TJ is not going anywhere — he will be our basketball coach for a long time!" ISU athletic director Jamie Pollard wrote on X.