Ohio State Basketball: 9 candidates to replace Chris Holtmann as Head Coach

Darian DeVries

Each offseason’s coaching carousel seems to include a number of hot mid-major candidates, though some of them decide to stay put. Ohio State is one of the most prominent potential openings, so the Buckeyes wouldn’t settle for just any mid-major coach. Then again, DeVries is no ordinary coach.

A native of Iowa and former player at Northern Iowa, DeVries spent nearly two decades as an assistant at Creighton, working and learning under both Dana Altman and Greg McDermott. His own head coaching career began at Drake back in 2018 and it’s been an incredible six years for the Bulldogs. The program is averaging nearly 25 win per year and have been in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments, with great results against the MVC.

There’s a significant jump from the MVC to the Big Ten, but DeVries has proven he’s ready for the next level. The biggest question is the fit for both sides. DeVries has potentially been waiting for the right opening while Ohio State might prefer entrusting their program with somebody who has more high-major experience. Nevertheless, DeVries has shown that he’s a winner, sitting better than 70% in conference play.