Former Ohio State basketball coach gets a new job

The entire season changed for the Ohio State basketball team when Chris Holtmann was fired on Valentine’s Day. Since then, Jake Diebler has helped coach the Buckeyes to a 5-1 record since he was selected as the interim head coach. Holtmann failed at Ohio State and needed to be let go. It’s obvious with how things have gone that it was the right call.

Holtmann got a fat buyout to go away. He got $12.8 million to get out of Columbus. Apparently, that buyout didn’t preclude him from getting another job. In fact, the season isn’t even over and Holtmann already has another job. Holtmann will be taking his coaching talents back to the Big East.

Former Ohio State basketball coach Chris Holtmann will now coach at Depaul

The former Buckeye leader is now the coach at DePaul. Holtmann heads back to the Big East to try to revive a program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in 20 years. What’s even more shocking about this announcement is the fact that the Blue Demons gave him a six-year contract even after the debacle that he had in Columbus.

Holtmann has agreed to a 6-year deal, per a source. DePaul presented a strong offer of support and valued his track record as a high-end Big East coach. https://t.co/LprDxxrcZ1

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 14, 2024

Holtmann goes to a program that has extremely low expectations. That’s honestly the best place for him. He couldn’t live up to what Thad Matta did at Ohio State and it wasn’t even close. That’s why he got canned. Now if he misses the NCAA Tournament, no one will care. It’s a good place for him to kind of revive his career.

If he can take this program to the NCAA Tournament, then he proves he can actually coach. Perhaps he’s a coach that is just better suited for a mid-major job. Even though DePaul is in the Big East, they’re no better than a mid-major. There’s nothing wrong with that, I just hope another program doesn’t get fooled into hiring him for a bigger one.

Holtmann moves just six hours away. I wish him nothing but the best.