Let the search begin.
On Wednesday, Ohio State fired seventh-year head basketball coach Chris Holtmann midseason. The Buckeyes will start the search for their next head coach in earnest, and there’s intriguing options from all over the country to try and lead the team forward.
Whoever comes in is going to have to find a way to get the Buckeyes competitive in the Big Ten again after they’ve gone a combined 9-25 in conference play the past two season. Ohio State is currently on a skid losing nine of its last 11 games and is likely to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
As Ohio State transitions from Gene Smith to Ross Bjork as athletic director, the direction of the latter’s first major hire could set the tone for his tenure. The following 11 names are among those who could draw consideration.
Greg McDermott, Creighton
A major candidate for Ohio State when it hired Holtmann seven years ago, McDermott has been a bastion of success at Creighton, which is currently ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll. He brought the Blue Jays from the Missouri Valley Conference into the Big East and won a regular season title in the major basketball conference in 2020. Creighton has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll at some point in five of the last seven seasons.
Lamont Paris, South Carolina
South Carolina's Lamont Paris could be among the most attractive names for Ohio State's head basketball coaching job. Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
One of the hottest names in the basketball coaching profession happens to be a native of Findlay, Ohio. After turning Chattanooga’s program around and winning a Southern Conference championship in 2022, Paris has gone from an 11-21 record in his first season at South Carolina to now boast a 21-3 club in a jam-packed SEC.
Nate Oats, Alabama
Oats has MAC ties, winning three championships in the conference while at Buffalo prior to taking the Alabama job. Since taking that job, he’s turned the Tide into one of the nation’s premier teams, winning both the SEC regular season and tournament titles in both 2021 and 2023. Alabama was No. 1 in the final AP Poll before the NCAA Tournament last season.
Sean Miller, Xavier
Perhaps the best in-state option for Ohio State, Miller was marred by scandal at the end of his tenure at Arizona but landed on his feet and led the Musketeers to a Sweet 16 last year. He’s a three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year and won five regular-season titles to go with three tournament titles in the conference. Xavier is just 13-11 this campaign, however.
Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
A blazing prospect in the profession, May brought the Owls from a roughly .500 squad in each of his first three seasons to a 35-4 record and glorious run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2023. This year Florida Atlantic is 19-5, continuing the momentum it built last season.
Thad Matta, Butler
Thad Matta is honored during halftime of Ohio State's game against Syracuse on Nov. 29, 2018.
Ohio State’s last head coach saw his tenure end with his firing, but his track record winning five regular season and four tournament titles in the Big Ten to pair with two Final Four appearances was fantastic prior to back issues that may have impaired his coaching ability. Back to better health now, Matta went from a 14-18 record in his first year back at Butler to a 16-9 record with the Bulldogs this campaign.
Eric Musselman, Arkansas
Musselman has been to four of the last five Sweet 16s in the NCAA Tournament, once with Nevada in 2018 and thrice with Arkansas in 2021, 2022 and 2023. His last two seasons have seen his record decline with the Razorbacks, however, going 22-14 prior to last year’s Sweet 16 run and standing at just 13-11 this season. Musselman was born in Ashland, Ohio and attended high school in Cleveland.
Mick Cronin, UCLA
Ohio State just poached UCLA's head football coach to be its offensive coordinator and its head basketball coach could be on the Buckeyes' list of candidates to nab as well. Cronin grew up and went to both high school and college in Cincinnati, where he served as head coach from 2006-2019 before landing at UCLA. He made the Final Four with the Bruins in 2021 and won 31 games in 2022, but they are just 13-11 with a loss to the Buckeyes this year.
Jay Wright, CBS Sports analyst
Jay Wright (right) is a longshot option for Ohio State's coaching search but would certainly at least be worth a phone call. Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
This is getting into true longshot territory, as Wright said this past November he's not interested in returning to coaching, but it would be one of the biggest of the big names Ohio State could swing at. The former Villanova coach has two Naismith Coach of the Years, two national championships, four Final Fours and 13 combined Big East regular season and tournament titles on his resume.
Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
Perhaps Bjork looks at the coach from his former destination? Williams is off back-to-back 25-win seasons at Texas A&M and won SEC Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2023. He’s made four Sweet 16s in his time as a head coach, most recently with Virginia Tech in 2019.
Jake Diebler, Ohio State assistant
Ohio State isn’t likely to promote internally, but if it does Diebler would be the person to watch. Holtmann’s right-hand man since he was promoted to associate head coach in 2022, he’s the brother of famed former Buckeye sharpshooter Jon Diebler.
