T.J. Otzelberger is returning to Iowa State as head basketball coach after two years at UNLV, athletic director Jamie Pollard introduced Thursday.
This would be the 43-year-old Otzelberger’s third stint in Ames, his first as head coach. He was an assistant below Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg and Steve Prohm, who was fired Tuesday after a 2-22 season through which the Cyclones went winless within the Huge 12.
“It is considerably uncommon to get the possibility to return residence, however Iowa State was my first cease as a Division I school coach and it’s my spouse’s adopted residence,” mentioned Otzelberger, whose spouse, Alison Lacey, was a three-time All-Huge 12 decide for the Cyclones. “The sources are right here to construct and maintain a program that competes at a excessive degree within the Huge 12 and nationally. I am conversant in the inspiration of the college and basketball program and am keen and impressed to promote our imaginative and prescient and reestablish a championship tradition.”
Otzelberger left Iowa State in 2016 to turn out to be head coach at South Dakota State, the place his groups received 70 video games in three years.
“I’ve had an in depth skilled relationship with T.J. for a few years and admired his work ethic and dedication to excellence,” Pollard mentioned. “Having watched him develop professionally, I’m satisfied he’s precisely what our program wants right now.”
Otzelberger’s first UNLV group was 17-15 general and tied for second within the Mountain West at 12-6, this system’s most convention wins since 1993. This season, the Runnin’ Rebels slipped to 12-15 and Eight-10, ending seventh within the league.
“When our coaches are being pursued by others, it’s a testomony to what we’re constructing,” UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois mentioned. “We admire Coach Otzelberger’s contributions to our males’s basketball program and we want T.J. and his household all the perfect as they proceed their journey.”
Otzelberger had been McDermott’s lead recruiter throughout his first run at Iowa State, which started in 2006. Otzelberger was credited with recruiting standouts comparable to Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett, Mike Taylor, Scott Christopherson and Melvin Ejim.
Otzelberger is 99-63 as a Division I coach. At South Dakota State (2017-19), Otzelberger’s groups had been led by Mike Daum and constructed reputations for successful and high-level offense. The Jackrabbits had been 70-33 general, received two Summit League regular-season titles and made the NCAA event twice and the NIT as soon as. SDSU completed within the high seven in scoring offense in his closing two years.
Otzelberger was retained when Hoiberg was employed in 2010, and the Cyclones made the NCAA event twice earlier than he left for an assistant’s job at Washington.
Otzelberger returned in 2015 for one season below Prohm. The Cyclones received 23 video games and reached the NCAA Candy 16 that season.
“He’s a pure chief who understands tips on how to recruit to Iowa State, values our division tradition of doing issues the correct approach, and employs a piece ethic that rivals anybody on this enterprise,” Pollard mentioned. “The success and challenges he skilled at South Dakota State and UNLV ready him to steer our program again to nationwide prominence.”
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