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

Pat Kelsey

It’s important for the Buckeyes to leave no stone unturned when considering this hire. It’ll be appealing to reach out to those power conference head coaches, especially the ones who’ve had success in recent years. However, they won’t restrict their search to just kinds of coaches, as they’re not the only ones with breakout success recently.

Kelsey is from Cincinnati and has gotten his own career off to a hot start. A former Xavier point guard and assistant, his head coaching career began at Winthrop back in 2012. He led the Eagles to three league titles and a pair of trips to the Big Dance before jumping to the College of Charleston in 2021. That aforementioned breakout success came last season, as Kelsey led the Cougars to a 31-4 season, CAA titles, and a trip to the Big Dance.

A few things would make this move tricky, including Kelsey’s somewhat recent contract extension with the Cougars. That part wouldn’t be a problem for Ohio State, though you have to wonder how much they’d throw at someone like Kelsey. He’s a fiery personality who has inspired and built two mid-major programs in recent years, but would he have that same level of success in the Big Ten? He did at least have experience in the ACC as an aide at Wake Forest.