Ohio State fired men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann in the middle of his seventh season on Wednesday, the school announced.
The Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin on Tuesday to fall to 14-11 overall and 4-10 in the Big Ten.
Over the past two years, the Buckeyes are 30-30 with a 9-25 conference record. They have lost 16 consecutive road games, tied for the longest streak in program history.
Holtmann had four years remaining on his contract that ran through the 2027-28 season and will be owed the $12.8 million remaining on his deal.
Holtmann met with athletic director Gene Smith last week, a team source said. Though Smith made it clear that making the NCAA Tournament was critical, the plan was to see the season through with Holtmann in charge.
The source described Holtmann as “blindsided” by the change and said that he didn’t have an opportunity to meet with his players before the news broke.
In a statement, Smith thanked Holtmann for his time at Ohio State.
“I want to express my appreciation toward Chris for the first-class program, and the well-respected program, he has run here at Ohio State,” Smith said. “He and his wife, Lori, are wonderful people. I thank each of them for their seven years here in Columbus and I wish them well.”
Associate head coach Jake Diebler will…
