Ohio State has its next head basketball coach.
Chris Holtmann was officially announced Friday as the 14th head coach in program history. Holtmann replaces Thad Matta, who was let go Monday after 13 seasons in Columbus.
Holtmann has agreed to an eight-year contract worth about $3 million annually. According to a university press release, final details are still being worked out and will be released at a later date. Holtmann will be officially introduced during a news conference Monday at 11 a.m. at Value City Arena.
“Chris is focused on academics, is a high-integrity person, a relentless recruiter with Midwestern ties and a proven winner,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement.
Holtmann, 45, comes to Ohio State after spending the last three seasons as the head coach at Butler. He is 70–31 in those three years leading the Bulldogs and went to the NCAA tournament all three times.
Last season, Butler finished 25–9 overall, was second in the Big East and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
Prior to his stint at Butler, Holtmann spent three seasons as the head coach at Gardner-Webb, where he amassed a 44–54 record. He left his job at Gardner-Webb to join the Butler staff as an assistant. Holtmann then took over as Butler's interim head coach on Oct. 2, 2014, when Brandon Miller took a medical leave of absence.
The interim tag was removed Jan. 2, 2015.
"Leaving Butler has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life," Holtmann said in a statement on Twitter. "Lori, Nora and I leave with amazing memories that we were honored to be a part of. We all know that at Butler, despite change, those special and amazing moments will only continue. I'm certain of that. It's Butler."
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Gardner-Webb | 11–21 | 6–12 (9th) | |
| 2011–12 | Gardner-Webb | 12–20 | 6–12 (10th) | |
| 2012–13 | Gardner-Webb | 21–13 | 11–5 (2nd) | CIT First Round |
| GARDNER-WEBB | 44–54 (.449) | 23–29 (.442) | ||
| 2014–15 | Butler | 23–11 | 12–6 (t-2nd) | NCAA Second Round |
| 2015–16 | Butler | 22–11 | 10–8 (t-4th) | NCAA Second Round |
| 2016–17 | Butler | 25–9 | 12–6 (2nd) | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| BUTLER | 70–31 (.693) | 34–20 (.630) | ||
| TOTAL | 114–85 (.573) | |||
Matta went 337–123 during his tenure at Ohio State. Under his direction, the Buckeyes won five Big Ten championships, four Big Ten tournament titles and qualified for the NCAA tournament nine times. Ohio State made five Sweet 16 appearances under Matta, three Elite Eights and a pair of Final Fours.
Matta is the winningest coach in program history.
However, the Buckeyes missed the NCAA tournament each of the last two seasons. Ohio State finished just 17-15 overall this past year — Matta's worst season of his head coaching career — and missed postseason play all together.
Matta was expected to return to lead the Buckeyes for the 2017–18 season, but Smith opted to make the change Monday after a second-straight offseason filled with player departures and recruiting misses.
"We came to a mutual understanding, and it was time for a change in the basketball program," Smith said during a Monday press conference. "This may be a surprise to many, but I think it's the right thing for our program at the right time."
Following the official announcement of Holtmann's hire, the new Ohio State coach released a statement from his personal Twitter account thanking his former employer.
— Chris Holtmann (@ChrisHoltmann) June 9, 2017
