Sources: Holtmann out as Buckeyes hoops coach

Chris Holtmann is out as Ohio State‘s head coach, sources told ESPN.

Holtmann was nearing the end of his seventh season at the helm in Columbus. The Buckeyes lost for the ninth time in 11 games Tuesday with their 62-54 loss at Wisconsin. The defeat dropped the Buckeyes to 4-10 in the Big Ten and 14-11 overall.

Holtmann has more than $14 million remaining on his fully guaranteed contract, sources told ESPN.

Holtmann led Butler to three straight NCAA tournaments before Ohio State hired him to replace Thad Matta in 2017. He started off his tenure at Ohio State with a 25-9 (15-3 in the Big Ten) record in Year 1 and went to back-to-back NCAA tournaments — and won a tournament game each year. The Buckeyes earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2021 but suffered a first-round upset to 15-seed Oral Roberts and then advanced to the second round in 2022.

Ohio State took a big step back last season, however, finishing 16-19 overall and 5-15 in the Big Ten. And despite starting 12-2 this season, the Buckeyes have dropped to next-to-last in the Big Ten standings.

Ohio State’s struggles on the road and in the month of January have been well documented. The Buckeyes haven’t won a road game since Jan. 1, 2023, and they’re 18-29 over the past six seasons in the month of January.

Holtmann started his coaching career as an assistant at Division-III Geneva College and moved up the ladder before taking over as the head coach at Gardner-Webb. He took the Runnin’ Bulldogs from 11 wins in Year 1 to a second-place Big South finish in his third season, then left to join Butler’s staff as an assistant under Brandon Miller. When Miller took a leave of absence, Holtmann was promoted to interim head coach and then was given the permanent job after just three months.