The Atlanta Tipoff Club on Thursday named Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann as one of four finalists for 2018 Naismith Trophy Men's College Coach of the Year.
Tennessee's Rick Barnes, Virginia's Tony Bennett, and VIllanova's Jay Wright join the Buckeye coach.
“These coaches have greatly impacted the sport of basketball on the court and have led their teams to remarkable seasons as we start the tournament,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “There were so many talented candidates, so seeing these four make it to the final stage underscores the remarkable seasons they’ve enjoyed. And it will be that much harder to single out the winner.”
Here's Holtmann's résumé, as lauded by the Tipoff Club:
- The first-year Ohio State coach led the Buckeyes to a second-place conference finish (15-3, 24-8 overall).
- With a 9-0 start in Big Ten play this year, Holtmann became the first coach in 95 years to win his first seven conference games, and propelled the Buckeyes to their first top-10 ranking in four years.
- He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by other league coaches and media members, his second consecutive conference Coach of the Year award (BIG EAST, 2017).
- The Buckeyes are a No. 5 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Buckeye fans can vote for Holtmann beginning March 19 through 6 p.m. ET on March 30 by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote. The fan component makes up five percent of the overall vote.
The winner will be announced Sunday, April 1 at the Naismith Awards Brunch during the Final Four in San Antonio.
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