Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has been named to the 2021 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year late-season watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday. He is one of 15 coaches appearing on the list.
Holtmann, in his fourth year in Columbus, has an overall record of 84-38, and 45-28 in Big Ten play. His team has yet to win a regular-season or conference tournament title, but there’s no denying the arc is on the way up after taking over from a sliding Thad Matta program that was once one of the best in the country.
This season, Ohio State has once again far-exceeded expectations. Picked by many to finish seventh or eighth in the league, the Buckeyes have gelled quickly, mixing in fresh faces with some older veterans. OSU has won seven in a row and ten of its last eleven in arguably the deepest and most talented league in the country. The team sits just a 1/2 game out of first place with a record of 12-4 in the league, and 18-4 overall.
And now, Holtmann is being recognized for how his team has performed on the court. It’s been an elite offensive club the likes of which we’ve rarely seen in Columbus and should be poised for a deep run in March, and even a potential No. 1 seed depending on how things finish through the remainder of conference play and the Big Ten Tournament.
Here are the other fifteen coaches appearing on the Naismith’s Coach of the Year late-season watch list. A win over No. 3 Michigan would obviously enhance Holtmann’s ability to win the award.