Despite the recent repugnant results of Ohio State's basketball team, its head coach was caught off-guard by his firing on Wednesday.
A source close to the situation told The Athletic that Chris Holtmann was "blindsided" by his sacking and didn't get a chance to meet with his team before the announcement came.
Ohio State's results certainly provide to shock as to why a move was made. The Buckeyes have lost nine of their last 11 games and are very much outside the NCAA Tournament picture, now on a school record-tying 16-game road losing streak after falling at Wisconsin Tuesday.
The Buckeyes also lost 14 of 15 games during one stretch last year to finish with a 16-19 record that was the program's worst since going 8-22 during the 1997-98 season, the same campaign that saw the other occasion on which Ohio State lost 16 consecutive road games.
Still, Holtmann seemed to be taken by surprise due to a meeting he'd recently had with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, according to the source. Smith had told Holtmann the Buckeyes needed to make the NCAA Tournament this season, but the plan was to have the coach see the season through.
Instead, Holtmann was given his walking papers on Wednesday. Ohio State will owe him $12.8 million for his remaining contract.
Assistant Jake Diebler has taken over as the Buckeyes' interim head coach for the rest of this season. Ohio State will start its search for a new head coach, spearheaded by incoming athletic director Ross Bjork, following the conclusion of the campaign.
