Athletic director Gene Smith meeting with the media to discuss the Wednesday firing of head men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann. Credit: Nick Molica | Asst. Sports LTV Producer
Chris Holtmann was fired Wednesday, but it wasn’t for his lack of personability.
Mere hours after the athletic department’s announcement of Holtmann’s firing, the Buckeyes’ athletic director Gene Smith discussed his decision and where the program will go from here.
Generally, Smith said Ohio State men’s basketball had not been reaching the program’s standard over the course of Holtmann’s tenure.
“The standard for men’s basketball is the same — be in the hunt, periodically win the [Big Ten] championship and then go deep into the postseason,” Smith said. “That hasn’t been accomplished. We need to do better.”
Since Holtmann took over the program in 2017, the Buckeyes have only made it as far as the second round of the NCAA Tournament — and only once. On top of that, up until his firing, Holtmann has led the Buckeyes to just over a 50% (67-65) win rate in Big Ten play.
Originally, the plan was to let the season play out before making a coaching change, but after watching the last few games and identifying a lack of successful leadership, Smith decided Holtmann’s time had come sooner rather than later. However, he said it “was really hard,” but had to be done.
“Looking at the last couple games, few games actually, that this team needed different leadership, so I made the change,” Smith said. “If you don’t care about the person, it’s easier. If you care about someone like I do, it makes it hard.”
In March 2022, Holtmann signed a contract that would extend him through the 2027-28 season — three additional years — and give him a $500,000 per year raise, surmounting to $3.5 million annually. Because of the extension, Ohio State must now buy Holtmann out at a staggering cost of $12.8 million, according to a release from the athletic department.
Smith said over his 19-year tenure, he’s regretted many decisions, and this was one of them.
“If I could fix all of the regrets that I have in my life I’d fix them all — but certainly that’s one of them,” Smith said.
With six games left to play before the Big Ten Tournament begins, Smith said there is still time for the players to end the season on a high note. Similarly, he doesn’t doubt the talent of the roster, it is finding the right person to exploit it — it’s all for the players.
“The reality is, the body of work over this last year, I felt that they [the players] needed something different from a leadership point,” Smith said. “While they’re young, there’s a lot of minutes on that floor. A lot. And so they still have six home games and the tournament. So I wanted to give them a shot and that’s what they have.”
For the remainder of the season, assistant coach Jake Diebler will fill in as acting head coach. He is in his fifth year with the team.
Smith said he feels good about what Diebler can bring to the team behind the helm and will guide him through the process. Once the official decision to part ways with Holtmann was made, Smith said Diebler stepped up ready for the challenge.
“I think he’s a very good coach, I think he’s gonna demonstrate, for the kids, just at the end of the day that we just need to keep fighting all the way through and he’s going to do that,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, a search for Holtmann’s permanent replacement will be ongoing. Smith said the decision will be made by incoming athletic director Ross Bjork — who arrives March 1 to begin working with Smith — but Smith will remain very involved in the process.
“I’m gonna be all in with Ross,” Smith said. “I’m going to be honest, forthright, authentic and genuine, and tell him that we gotta find someone that has the X’s and O’s and those talents and skills, but they’ve gotta fit our values, they gotta fit our culture, so I’ll be involved.”
The Buckeyes will be under new leadership in their next game Sunday when they host the No. 1 team in the Big Ten, Purdue, at Value Center Arena at the Schottenstein Center.
