Ohio State fired men’s basketball head coach Chris Holtmann after the Buckeyes fell to 4-10 in conference play following a 62-54 loss to Wisconsin. Holtmann had been with the Buckeyes since 2017, and earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2018. Holtmann’s Buckeyes teams reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, but failed to advance past the first weekend at any point.
With Holtmann gone, the Buckeyes will be on the hunt for a replacement. While no official announcement has been made, an assistant coach will likely step up as the interim for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, which will end for the Buckeyes in early March.
Potential replacements for Chris Holtmann
Pat Kelsey, Charleston
Kelsey was on plenty of hiring replacement lists after he took Charleston on an unprecedented run last season. He stuck around this season, but the Cougars are tied atop their conference standings, and Kelsey could be a sought-after candidate again once April rolls around.
Wes Miller, Cincinnati
Yes, the Bearcats are part of a Power 5 conference now and are by definition a more sought-after job, but OSU is still a much bigger name — particularly in Ohio. Miller has smoothly led Cincy’s transition into a highly competitive Big XII in the 2023-24 season, and has plenty of local ties.
Lamont Paris, South Carolina
It might be a stretch to hire a head coach out of the SEC — especially out of an SEC program that is doing particularly well this season — but Paris was born and raised in Ohio, and played college ball at Wooster. He has spent time in the Big Ten as an assistant, and his record with the Gamecocks this year speaks for itself.
Dusty May, FAU
May was a big name in the 2023 offseason after leading the Owls to the Final Four, but he chose to stick around at FAU. However, that doesn’t mean that bigger-name programs won’t continue to attempt to recruit him. As an Indiana alum, he has Midwest and Big Ten ties.
Niko Medved, Colorado State
Medved’s Rams are legitimate contenders in a very good Mountain West this season. Medved has been with CSU since 2018, and in 2022, he led the program to its first tournament appearance since 2013.
Chris Mack, Free Agent
Mack has said recently he would be open to get back into coaching and despite his mixed results at Louisville, he’d be a strong candidate for Ohio State. Mack oversaw consistent tournament teams at Xavier, even making the Elite Eight in 2016-17. He’s got Ohio ties and this is a great platform for him to show he’s still one of the best coaches in the business.
Anthony Grant, Dayton
The Buckeyes don’t have to look far if they want to go after a rising mid-major candidate. Grant has bounced back nicely from his failed run at Alabama by making Dayton a consistent tournament threat. Even though the Flyers haven’t officially made the NCAA Tournament under Grant, they were 29-2 in the year the tournament got suspended. Grant could be a nice under-the-radar option if Ohio State’s top candidates back out.
Sean Miller, Xavier
The bond between Miller and Xavier is strong, and the Musketeers brought him back despite his controversies. However, it does feel like the coach is destined for something bigger than a mid-major school. Miller oversaw some talented teams at Arizona and turned that program into a blue blood. He would be a splash hire at Ohio State and has a track record for success.
