College Basketball: Ranking the top coaching moves of 2017-18 offseason

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: Georgetown University athletic director Lee Reed introduces NBA Hall of Famer and former Georgetown Hoyas player Patrick Ewing as the Georgetown Hoyas' new head basketball coach at John Thompson Jr. Athletic Center on April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 24: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

No. 3 Chris Holtmann to Ohio State

One of the first major firings of the offseason, the Ohio State Buckeyes decided to part ways with Thad Motta at the beginning of June after several struggling seasons and reported health issues. Matta, who had formerly been the head coach of the Butler Bulldogs and Xavier Musketeers, took Ohio State to two Final Four appearances and five Big Ten regular season conference titles.

His firing came as a shock, but the coach who will replace him, Chris Holtmann, is more than ready to take charge at (the) Ohio State University.

Holtmann was an assistant at Butler under now Boston Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens and was promoted to head coach after his departure. He has kept Butler, a team that many believed to be a one-trick pony, in basketball relevance throughout his time there. The Bulldogs are one of the best basketball programs in the country largely because of what Stevens and Holtmann were able to do.

Holtmann now brings his talents to the Buckeyes, and the expectations at Ohio State are high. However, Holtmann should easily meet these expectations and bring this program back into the spotlight in just a few seasons. Don’t expect success immediately, but, in a year or two, the NCAA Tournament should be a lock for Ohio State.

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