Some relationships are meant to end on Valentine’s Day. On Wednesday, February 14, Ohio State elected to fire its head men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann.
“Our responsibility is to the program, so I just felt at this particular time, with six regular season games left and the Big Ten tournament and whatever the postseason brings, a spark was needed,” Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith said.
“So yeah, it’s about the program in the end, and I have to set aside my personal feelings and just go with what’s best.”
Holtmann has spent seven seasons as the head coach of the Buckeyes. Through 222 games on the sidelines in Columbus, the former coach of the Butler Bulldogs has won 61.7% of his regular season outings and 51.1% of Big Ten contests while appearing in the postseason four times. However, the program has fallen on hard times within the last two years with the Buckeyes losing 25 of its last 34 conference matchups and missing out on March Madness last season.
Holtmann’s contract was set to run through the 2027-2028 season. As a result, he will receive a buyout of more than $12 million. In the meantime, Jake Diebler will step in as the team’s interim coach. The Buckeyes will return to the hardwood on Sunday, February 18 against conference-leading Purdue.
