Big South Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jul 20, 2020

CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Greg Marshall of the Winthrop Eagles cheers on his team during a game against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels November 15, 2006 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo By Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 21: Head coach Chris Holtmann (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

9. Chris Holtmann – Gardner-Webb (2010-2013)

Holtmann was a relative unknown before rising quickly through the coaching ranks after his time with Gardner-Webb. He was a college teammate of John Groce at Taylor University and later worked on his staff at Ohio. Holtmann had served as an assistant at a few other schools, including Gardner-Webb, before he was given the head coaching job in 2010, inheriting a program without any success since joining D1 a decade earlier.

While the first two seasons weren’t incredible, Holtmann’s third season was the first real step forward for this Runnin’ Bulldogs program. They finished the season with 21 wins, a second-place finish in the Big South, and made the CIT, their first postseason appearance. Holtmann set the program up well for future success, even if the payoff would be several years later.

He departed after three seasons for Butler, becoming their head coach a year later. He’s now the head coach at Ohio State, quite the leap from Gardner-Webb in less than a decade’s time. The Runnin’ Bulldogs recently made their first NCAA Tournament, progress that likely doesn’t happen without Holtmann’s push during those important three years.