Ohio State makes expensive move in firing Chris Holtmann
Feb 6, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann talks to his team during the second half of the men’s basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Value City Arena. Ohio State lost 76-73. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State has made a major change at the top of its basketball program, firing coach Chris Holtmann after six-plus seasons.
The Buckeyes will take a big financial hit in firing Holtmann. According to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, Holtmann will be paid a $12.5 million buyout stemming from the lengthy contract extension he signed in 2022.
Clearly, Ohio State felt it could not continue with Holtmann if the school was willing to pay that out. The Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin on Tuesday, falling to 4-10 in Big Ten play this season. That came on the heels of a 5-15 Big Ten campaign last year, which prompted the change.
Holtmann became Ohio State’s head coach in 2017 and led the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament four times. However, he never made it to the Sweet 16, and infamously lost to Oral Roberts as a No. 2 seed in 2021. It has largely been downhill from there, with the Buckeyes poised to miss the tournament for the second straight season.
